Taste Of Texas
The Roma
Who exactly are they?
The Roma are nomads. They are sometimes called gypsies. They have been all over Europe. It is thought that they originated from India in the late thirteenth century, and gradually migrated upwards to Europe. The Romanis don't live in one place. They usually travel a lot.
More about the Roma...
Push and Pull Factors
The Roma didn't come here intentionally at first. In 1492, two Romani women were forced to go with Christopher Columbus on his third voyage to the new world. They had committed a crime, and that was there punishment. He was supposed to leave them there to die. Back then the Romani people were enslaved to others.The Roma were enslaved in Romania for about five centuries, until slave abolition in 1864 occured. During this time, many of the Romani wanted to escape. Eventually they began to sneak into the ships to the New World. They came to America, Texas, Mexico and began a new life. Life here was much easier for them, as they weren't enslaved and cruelly forced to work.Later on, when World War II was going on, the Romani people were considered outcasts and pushed out. They were thought to have "alien blood". The Romanis were sent to concentration camps along with beggars and the homeless. The Roma were enslaved in Romania for about five centuries, until slave abolition in 1864 occured. About 200,000-800,000 Romani people were killed off by the Nazis in an attempted genocide called the Porajmos. This caused even more of the Romani to come to Texas.
Where are they originally from?
Historians think that the Roma originated from India, and began moving north in the late thirteenth century. They are known for being nomads, and they didn't live in a single place. They came north to Europe, and about two centuries later began migrating to Texas. They kept coming to Texas, not only because of cheap land, but there was more freedom for the Romani there. The Roma kept going further up into Europe, and by the 16th century, they were in Scotland and Sweden.
Culture Highlights
The Roma culture is really diverse. They have many customs, and many things are considered taboo or "impure". People who are still extremely traditional in the customs follow them. Some of these customs are: -The Romani don't cut their nails with a nail clipper, as it is considered bad luck. They usually use nail files. -In many traditional Romani families. the bride's parents are expected to give money to the groom's family along with the bride. Dancing is a big part of Romani culture, and it is done very abundantly. The picture above is of a dancer.
Significant Individuals
Significant individuals from Romani culture are:
-Stevan Razvan: He was the prince of Moldavia, and he ruled Moldavia for four months. Moldavia is a state in Romania. He died in 1595.
Trivia Time!
-Did you know that in old times, and still in some places today, "Bride Kidnapping" is considered a Romani practice? Girls as young as 12 years old can be kidnapped to be married to teenage boys.
-Did you know that childbirth is considered impure in Roma, and it must occur outside the dwelling place? The mother is also considered "impure" for forty days.
-Did you know that in 2003, a Romani patriarch, Florin Cioaba, married off his youngest daughter, Ana-Maria, who was age twelve?
Analysis
Final Analysis
Bibliography
"National Geographic Society." National Geographic Channel. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"Roma Culture." Roma Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"ROMA [GYPSIES]." HANCOCK, IAN F. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013