Apologies to Robin Pob Adlem who has already seen this tonight, but I have a bee in my bonnet at the mo, and think it is worth posting this very simple breakdown of how I feel, as a passing white girl with a muddy history in the UK today. As a 50% Russian-Jewish-circus paternal side/50% Romanichal-AngloRomani maternal side British woman who spent a good third of her childhood immersed in a Romanichal lifestyle, this thread as a whole makes me shake my head. I know that this will come as a surprise to some, because I am Ashkenazi, pale, blonde and pass for the average white girl, and have spoken to many of you in person or at least on the forum, and not tried to sell you a sprig of heather or some pegs. But the thing is, we are living among you, were friends to some of you, albeit you may not even realise it. We can hold down jobs, own property, pay our way, and live lightly on the land, way lighter than some of the naysayers. Some of us can trace our British heritage back way further than many gorje/brick dwellers/ thread posters. We are individual people, whom you may relate to in many situations, and think of as just like you. But clearly, were not, when it comes down to the wire. We fish in the Roma way, are generally problematic, and in many peoples houses, antiziganism is the last bastion of acceptable overt racism, oh but not you, obviously, youre different. No. I am the sum of my parts. I am an individual. I am also part of more than two races, two cultures, that are foreign to many of you here, as well as being white and educated and a nice girl. I can pass in this culture, as I can in both Jewish and Romanichal circles. I do not fish the Roma way and my racial heritage, does not need rehoming or getting rid of largescale from certain towns. I straddle the border between three cultures, and get flack about it from all of them, believe me. And yet the one I find the hardest to defend, is this middle Britain ideal, with its assumptions, bullshit and prejudice. So often, discussions about the gypsy problem and Roma culture (as with a great many other minority groups) is conducted by the majority mainstream, without even thinking about how they have the room to take a view and posit an opinion without having spoken to or involved anyone from the culture they are judging/discussing/annoyed by. This does not work. Surprise!
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 22:30:35 +0000
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