By Naomi P., Communications Intern
Being an ethnically ambiguous person comes with a lot of privileges; however, answering the constant questions about my identity is not one them. Like many other exoticized women, I am asked on an almost daily basis: “What are you?” and “Where are you from?” followed up with “No really, where are you from?” after I reply “Brooklyn” to their line of questioning.
When you tell folks in America that you are Romani, nearly 100 percent of the time they will ask if you mean Romanian. Often times, I will reply “No, Romani, which is gypsy but please don’t call us that because it’s a slur.” I’ve learned that Americans are familiar with the word “gypsy,” using it to describe a vagabond, free-spirited lifestyle, and have a faint idea of us as mythical creatures, but are ignorant to the plight of actual Romani people.
So, who are Romani? More importantly, why do we need to remove the word gypsy from our vocabulary?
Simply put, Romani are the largest ethnic minority in Europe, originating from northwest India, migrating through the Middle East, and some through North Africa, to Europe. There are Romani living around the world, with estimates of 10 and 12 million living in Europe and another million in the US. Europeans imposed the word “gypsy” on Romani when they came to Europe, believing that we originated from Egypt because of our dark features. Romani have a history of persecution in Europe; it is estimated by Roma historians that over 70 to 80 percent of the Romani population was murdered in the Holocaust, a fact that is little known or recognized. Even lesser known, Romani experienced chattel slavery in Romania for over 500 years ending in 1860.
Although it is rarely talked about, the situation for Romani has not improved much; we are still victims of hate crimes, receive inadequate health care and housing, experience segregated education, and die in prison. While policies in the US systematically discriminate in covert ways, many of the policies against Romani in Europe are overt, which is apparent through opinions from political officials. In 2013, Zsolt Bayer, co-founder of the Fidesz Party in Hungary, said, “A significant part of the Roma are unfit for coexistence. They are not fit to live among people. These Roma are animals, and they behave like animals. When they meet with resistance, they commit murder. They are incapable of human communication. Inarticulate sounds pour out of their bestial skulls. At the same time, these Gypsies understand how to exploit the ‘achievements’ of the idiotic Western world. But one must retaliate rather than tolerate. These animals shouldn’t be allowed to exist. In no way. That needs to be solved — immediately and regardless of the method.”
These ideas are not reduced to words; according to a study by the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups and Anglia Ruskin University, 9 out of 10 Roma children have suffered racial abuse in the UK. In Hungary, 60 percent of Romani live in secluded rural areas, segregated neighborhoods, and settlements. The fact that 90 percent of Romani in Europe live below the poverty line is an even more extreme illustration of current living conditions for Romani.
We cannot have a conversation about the use of “gypsy” without mentioning what it specifically means to be Romani and a woman facing racism, classism and sexism, excluded from traditional feminist and Romani activist movements. Romani women experience particularly disparate treatment in the areas of education, reproductive health care, and in the labor market. Only 1.6 percent of Romani women attend college in Romania, while 90 percent of Romani women are unemployed in Hungary. Romani women in Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic were victims of forced sterilization, a practice that ended less than 10 years ago. Romani infant mortality remains an issue; it is double the national average in the Czech Republic. These policies that impact actual lives of Romani women are upheld by cultural attitudes, some of which people don’t notice they are perpetuating.
“Her complexion was dark … She danced, whirled, turned around … Her large, black eyes flashed lightning … With her smooth bodice of gold, her colorful dress that swelled with the rapidity of her motions, with her bare shoulders, her finely turned legs that her skirt now and then revealed, her black hair, her flaming eyes, she was a supernatural creature…’In truth,’ thought Gringoire, ‘she is a magical creature, a nymph, a goddess, a bacchanae of Mount Menelaeus!’ At that moment one of the magical creature’s tresses came loose, and a piece of yellow brass that had been fastened to it fell to the ground. ‘But no,’ he said, ‘she is a gypsy!’ The illusion was shattered.”—Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The media offers two stereotypes of Romani women: the beggar, who is dirty and exploiting social welfare, and a hypersexualized magical being who threatens the patriarchy. So, while the use of the word “gypsy” seems innocent, it is dangerous to Romani women. It conjures up a romanticized image of poverty and sexualization, which doesn’t acknowledge that there is nothing romantic about being a victim of institutionalized racism. There is nothing romantic about the link between perceived uncontrollable sexuality and forced sterilization. There is nothing romantic about being a victim of domestic violence but afraid to speak out because law enforcement won’t believe you or it will further oppress your community. There is nothing romantic about lacking political power and representation, and being left out of both anti-racist and feminist politics.
However, that doesn’t stop the rampant consumerism and pop culture references associated with “gypsy.” Just to name a few examples: The Gypsy Shrine, Gypsy Warrior, Shakira’s song “Gypsy,” Fleetwood Mac’s song “Gypsy,” Cher’s song “Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves,” and the latest, Netflix’s original series Gypsy. There are over 2,000 “gypsy” costumes on Amazon and over 250,000 “gypsy” items for sale on Etsy. When folks unknowingly or knowingly profit off of the word “gypsy,” claim they have a “gypsy soul,” or use “gypsy aesthetic” for a day at Coachella, they are reinforcing racist stereotypes of Romani women and dehumanizing us. People in the US must recognize the link between the language we use and how cultural depictions inform public policy for marginalized groups. Beyond language and the word gypsy, this is about how gypsies are struggling for liberation, and how Romani women suffer while gadje (non-Romani) profit off of our likeness. So before you put on that coin skirt and scarf, or proclaim your “free-spirited gypsy-ness,” remember that we already exist and will be always be gypsies and Romani.
Great piece! Very well written and informative. I’m going to be keeping this in my “sharing library” to help educate folks.
I do not start by telling people that I am Jewish, and Grew up in Brooklyn.
People can pretty will figure it out, I would much rather talk about whatever reason we are having a conversation.
People insist on asking the question, I do not get upset, I do not care what words they use, And it doesn’t matter what those words had in the old country, My parents or my grandparents Came to America, With great difficulty, Have better lives. We can pray however we want to, And we like foods the way that we like to make them.
And they took whatever jobs they were able to get, and Told the children to get as much of an education as possible. I want your life to be better, And that is the lessons that I want to pass along to your children.
If someone asks them about one of those words, They will be able to say they use the worriers.
We can do without the verb “gyp,” too!
Thank you fo r this article. I am writing a book with a story about a gypsy in it and found little material at libraries to help me find a true depiction. I will hold on to this for reference.
Thank you for writing about this! So few Americans have any idea whatsoever of the Romani plight despite being one of the most discriminated groups.
Your absolutely correct. Keep up the good work. Must start somewhere and will take a few generations to instill these values but well worth it.
All of this. Like all the time. Awsome post.
That’s not really how people use the word though, they use it almost exclusively to refer to very specifically fortune tellers
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I still dont understand how any of this history or oppression makes the word “gypsy” a slur. please explain.
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So recently in my line of business ibwas accused of being racist, derogatory and harassing when I used the word gypsy. The word has been used to define not a specific race or ethnicity but to define the actions of people swindling and cheating to get free items, more items by lying and deceiving. I have been at this business and working with the police department who also uses the term but now im labeled a racist and am in danger of losing my job. How is this in line with romani people. Never even heard the term romani until this. I get the plight of the romani people after reading some of the history but still doesn’t answer how come im labeled as a harassed and racist.. please no hate mail for a reply i would just like to get an honest answer. My whole life I’ve been raised to not judge a person by their appearance but buy their actions. I used the term to describe a group that visits our work and continuously tries to get free items or refunds by claiming false things and causing big commotion even though many times they’ve been caught in lies and even witnessed doing things to their food or purchases to then try to get them a refund or more items free. So why is that racist or harassing.
OMG, seriously. Thanks for the history lesson. Do you think that there is any race of people on this planet that have not been at one time or another marginalized, beaten, abused, enslaved, or victims of mass genocide you need to broaden your view of history. You’re saying American, as in the United States? The land of nothing but immigrants, the same immigrants that originally came to this country and butchered millions of “Indians “on mass. People miss labeled because some idiot thought this was India so to this day people still use it.
And “eroticized?”, you need to call Hollywood because they define gypsies as wizened, hooknose, ugly old crones who tell your future, practice witchcraft, and turn men into werewolves. Now that my dear is derivative. So take it up with Hollywood. . It’s just a word. It’s not meant to be racial slur by anyone who says it. In the world of racial slurs, it has to be the lowest on the rung because nobody intends it as a racial slur, so you informing us “Americans”( by the way “Americans” would be South America, North America, Canada and Central America), if you’re referring to people of the US say “US Citizens”. If we’re going to be nitpicky about semantics then wouldn’t that include you too? So pick a lane if you’re a citizen of the United States with Romani Ancestry great, So happy for you you’re officially not a gypsy . Which I happen to have Eastern European ancestry myself, and if someone calls me a gypsy, I wouldn’t give a care. It’s sad that the last two generations have nothing better to do with their time then throw big fits about how picked on they are because someone called them a word their declaring is now suddenly off-limits. The world is absolutely on fire, when it’s not flooding, literally, so get over yourself and pay attention to what’s happening outside of your own sphere or we’re all going to end up dead. In the grand scheme of things if someone calls you a gypsy and you wake up to the fact our “ Democracy” is rapidly turning into a totalitarism/fascist regime, You have nowhere to live, nothing to eat and nowhere to go, and still work 40 hours a week You’re gonna get over the whole “gypsy “thing real quick. . Honestly, I wish we lived in a world were the biggest problem we had was a Innocent word someone calls you.
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Literally no one in the United States that refers to someone as a gypsy is using the racial connotations, or purposefully trying to recollect the injustices done to the Romani people in some type of spiteful way. The mindset isn’t “oh you’re just a gypsy, like those alluring Romani vagabonds in Eastern Europe”. The word has developed its own connotations and is no longer used for racial identification (specifically in the US). I understand if the word is used in a derogatory way in older literature, when the word gypsy was used to identify the Romani people and allude to a specific lifestyle, but no one uses that word in that way today. Like someone had already mentioned, the term “Indian” when referring to one of Native American descent is a common misconception. That doesn’t make it derogatory. It doesn’t resurface the injustices done to a Native Americans. It was a simple misconception that has carried on due to lack of literal geographic knowledge. The injustices done to these races aren’t significant to history because of a word. If you’re going to let a word stir the history of your race(s), you’re just encouraging frailty for your people’s history, and honestly self-oppressing your own people. Today’s children are going to grow up only learning about racial injustices throughout history, because that’s the only thing society wants to dwell on. Instead of wasting your time writing an article about how offensive five letters put together are, try writing articles about the history of your people, sparing the thread thin connections between the injustices today and the injustices of a culture a hundred years ago. If you want to fight against racial and sexual prejudice, write articles about women’s rights and the rich humanity that deserves equality within your heritage.
In response to:
Josephine says: …
August 18, 2025 at 10:22 pm
curious says:
June 12, 2025 at 3:55 pm
I still dont understand how any of this history or oppression makes the word “gypsy” a slur. please explain.
The word “gypsy” was cast upon the Romani as a hateful term, full of resentment and a view of them being less than those using it, much like most slurs. The terms were once commonplace but not in a respectful way and emotional maturity and inclusiveness has led to the disuse of them.
Very good stuff
As someone who has also been asked ‘where are you really from?’ more times than I can count, I really resonated with your words. Thank you for explaining the history and impact behind the term ‘gypsy.’
Thank you for this powerful and enlightening piece, Naomi. Your personal perspective as a Romani woman, combined with the historical and contemporary context you provide, offers a compelling case for why the term “gypsy” is harmful and should be retired. The detailed account of the systemic discrimination and unique challenges faced by Romani women, particularly in areas like education, healthcare, and employment, is both eye-opening and sobering. Your call to recognize the real human cost behind romanticized stereotypes is impactful and necessary. This article is an important step toward raising awareness and fostering respect for Romani identity and experiences. Keep shining a light on these critical issues!
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