What do you know about the Roma?

[flylock shox]

I recently traveled through the Czech Republic, and Czechs I spoke with regularly asked me whether I was aware of the "Roma situation."

The only thing I knew about the Roma was that they were often called Gypsies and had a tomato named after them. But apparently there's more to them than that.

It seems to be a widely held view in Czech that the Roma are a massive (and willing) burden on the country's social welfare system, and the "Roma issue" is now a key political issue in that country. Apparently Roma unemployment in Czech is about 70% (as compared to 6% for all other groups taken together), and it was the flow of Roma refugee claimants to Canada that resulted in our government imposing visa restrictions on Czech visitors (restrictions about which there is much resentment among non-Roma Czechs).

Roma migrants are now being targeted by France for expulsion from that country, and it appears that Canadian representatives will be attending a French-initiated summit that will tackle the issue of Roma migrants.

From what I can tell, the Roma don't seem to have a collective voice, and if they do it's hard to hear it over the clamour of all these complaints and accusations being made about them - usually describing them as a group that is either inherently criminal, or inherently lazy, leeching, and opportunistic.

What's particularly concerning is the freedom with which people seem to express negative attitudes towards the Roma, and what appears to be almost a consensus among a very large number (in some countries, a majority) of continental Europeans as to the problematic nature of this ethnic group.

I've only started to learn a bit about the Roma (their background, history, and social status in Europe), and am interested to know if anyone has any insight into who they are, and how things have come to this point.

So, what do you know about the Roma?

[Rathji]

He messed up in the playoffs a couple years back because he went on vacation with his bimbo girlfriend the week before their game.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by flylock shox

So, what do you know about the Roma?

I got ripped off by one gypsy woman in Bosnia when I was there. I also know that Roma communities tend to have high alcoholism and organized crime rates. Many also purposely try to live in countries under the radar.

[PIMking]

I just did a wiki search and they remind me a lot of the Latino crowd here.

[missdpuck]

I was warned about the Roma when I was in the Czech Republic too. I was never approached by any while I was alone, but was several times while with groups of Czechs. If we refused to give the adult Roma money, they would send the kids after us, and it would get pretty nasty at times. The kids would gang up on us, try to trip us; it was frightening.
I've also read that some Roma are educated and successful .

[PIMking]

Misspuck, They beg for money then if you don't give them money they try to mug you?

[afc wimbledon]

No shorts no shoes no diddies was common on pubs and stores in the UK, diddycoys being slang for gypsies.

[Crazy Bacon Legs]

They pulled that trick on me where they throw a baby at you and when you catch it they steal your wallet.

But hey, I got a free baby out of the deal.

[Coys1882]

Wasn't there a band of gypos that did some swarm robberies here in Calgary last year? I think they were from a Slavic country - they were shipped back weren't they?

[4X4]

Buncha scamming scammers. Pickpocketing, no jobs, teaching their children to steal, drugging their infants and carrying them around train stations to beg for money, thieves.

[missdpuck]

Originally Posted by PIMking

Misspuck, They beg for money then if you don't give them money they try to mug you?

That is what they did to us. It happened mainly in the Old Town near the alleyways. I was surprised I never saw them when I was alone. I don't know about now, but Prague was considered an extremely safe city when I was there. You could pretty much walk around at 2AM and not worry. The only thing they ever warned us about were the Gypsies.
The Czechs I was with often had to get very aggressive and loud to make them go away.

It's hard to know what the cause/effect is. Do other Roma make it nearly impossible to leave the culture? If they wanted to get an honest job or learn a skill, could they?

There were a few that seemed "nice", and having one of those kids look up at you with those huge pathetic brown eyes can kinda tug at your heart, but you always have to be on guard for that bait and switch routine.

Makes me think of those begging Roma kids in "Hostel".

[VladtheImpaler]

What 4x4 said. Shockingly, we didn't run into any in Czech and Hungary last year...

[Street Pharmacist]

I had an experience with a few in Marseille when I was there. Super aggressive. They tried averting my attention when I set my backpack down and kept walking by and "accidentally" kicking it to see if I was watching. When I finally gave in to a beggar because she saw me getting money from my pocket they absolutely swarmed me. It was scary

[sclitheroe]

Probably they don’t pay taxes. That’s really the deciding factor in many things.

[tete]

I was in Ireland in 2002 and Prague in 2003 and I saw more Roma in Ireland than in Prague, oddly enough. I was never bothered by them, but I also tried to avoid situations where they were.

I've heard stuff recently comparing the Roma to First Nations in Canada - ostracized, demeaned, suppressed and stereotyped by unflattering characteristics. I simply do not know enough about the entire Roma culture to comment more on this, it's just something I've heard.

[Pinner]

Originally Posted by tete

I've heard stuff recently comparing the Roma to First Nations in Canada - ostracized, demeaned, suppressed and stereotyped by unflattering characteristics.

Here where I live, natives on the reserve get money thrown at them steady, for instance, $100,000 when they turn 18.

The Oil companies pay the bands a handsome "ransom" that is distributed regularly throughout their lives.

[Azure]

So you're all saying they are a bunch of lazy bums?

I say ban them from coming to Canada.

[Hack&Lube]

There's a museum of human rights in Brussels with a large section dedicated to the Roma. I went there once. I can't seem to remember much.

[tete]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

There's a museum of human rights in Brussels with a large section dedicated to the Roma. I went there once. I can't seem to remember much.

They were sent to Nazi concentration camps along with Jews, the mentally disabled and others groups that the Nazis wanted exterminated.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Probably all Canucks fans too.