Anti-Romani sentiment (also called antigypsyism, anti-Romanyism, antiziganism, ziganophobia, or Romaphobia) consists of hostility, prejudice, discrimination, nativism, racism, and xenophobia which is specifically directed at Romani people.
The Romani, who are believed to have migrated from India to Europe during the Middle Ages, have faced a long history of discrimination and persecution. Arriving Romanis were seen as suspect, in part due to their nomadic nature. Romanis were suspected of theft and fraud, pickpocketing, black magic, prostitution, and stealing children. Many countries passed laws restricting Romanis' ability to work and live. For centuries, Romani people in Europe were persecuted, enslaved, hanged, and burned. As a result, relations between the Romani people and other ethnic groups are frequently marked by mistrust and fear. Romani people often hide their ethnicity out of fear of discrimination and stereotyping. Some Romani people avoid non-Roma because they consider them marime.
The term “gypsy,” long used to refer to Romani people, was rejected as an exonym by the first World Romani Congress in 1971.Pickering (2010). "The Romani" (PDF). Northern Michigan University. p. 1. Retrieved 24 May 2021. The term evolved from the Middle English "Egipcien," out of a misconception that arriving Roma migrants hailed from Egypt. While some Romani embrace the term, it is largely frowned upon due to its association with misconceptions and stereotypes in which Romani people are portrayed as nomads who roam around and engage in questionable, criminal or illegal activities, which is exemplified by the term "to gyp". During the COVID-19 pandemic, hate speech against Roma people in Europe increased. A 2024 United States Department of State report raised concerns about anti-Romani sentiment across Europe. The Romani community in Europe encounters challenges including restricted access to quality education and obstacles in integrating into the labor market, which contribute to increased poverty and social exclusion, as well as inadequate healthcare and substandard living conditions. Romani children are assigned to segregated "special" schools, where restricted curricula hinder their opportunities. Roma children and women are also particularly vulnerable to human trafficking. Romani people are often stereotyped as evil beings prone to stealing, lying, having the "evil eye," and resisting assimilation. Romani people are considered musically talented but ultimately malicious, violent, criminals with a propensity for thievery and deception. The prevalent portrayal of travelling artisan Romani communities as mythical and exotic savages, which has existed since their arrival in Europe, includes characteristics that imply the criminalization of Romani individuals from the very beginning. These allegations highlight the Roma's engagement in theft, their supposed inclination to abduct children, kidnapping and their perceived spy-like behavior.
The key factors that contribute to the persistence of discrimination against the Roma are the lack of institutional recognition and the public's lack of knowledge about their historical experiences, including centuries of enslavement in the Danubian Principalities, forced assimilation, and genocide during the Holocaust. Historical and contemporary evidence indicate that other societies in Europe have systematically excluded Roma, contributing to the persistence of socioeconomic inequality and other forms of discrimination.
The Roma are regarded as one of the most mysterious races in the world, often described as nomads with no country or permanent homeland. The Romani people have historically been viewed as experts in black magic and Satanism who are allied with Satan. Theodore Balsamon cautioned the Greeks against engaging with the Romani, referring to them as "ventriloquists and wizards" associated with the Devil. Balsamon also noted that Romani individuals were seen carrying snakes wrapped around their bodies, claiming to predict the future.
The relationship between Romani people and non-Roma outsiders has long been marked by mistrust, discrimination, and violence. Many Roma harbor distrust toward non-Roma individuals. The term "gypsy" remains prevalent in Western culture, appearing both in openly prejudiced contexts and in seemingly harmless ways. The so-called "gypsy aesthetic" is often appropriated in fashion and music festivals, commercializing an idealized version of Roma culture without recognizing its painful history or the ongoing systemic racism faced by Roma communities. Negative stereotypes continue to appear in the media, where Roma are frequently depicted as criminals, beggars, or primitive people. Nevertheless, some contemporary Roma artists and activists are resisting these portrayals by producing their own works to reclaim their story and encourage positive self-representation. Romani organizations and advocates are challenging the use of the slur "gypsy," promoting instead the terms "Roma," "Romani," or specific subgroup names, while also striving to increase awareness of authentic Romani history and culture. The concept of the "gypsy" in Western culture is a complicated mix of romanticism and racism. It is a constructed identity that has enabled non-Roma society to define itself and has been used to justify centuries of discrimination and violence against the actual people it purports to represent.
Certain members of the Roma community hold the belief that a curse has been placed upon them, resulting in a life characterized by suffering and poverty. These are purportedly the words of the renowned magician who placed a curse on Cen, the forebear of all Romani people. This narrative illustrates how the Romani people account for their curse of enduring poverty and social exclusion. Etymology There are many names of the Romani people, with gypsy perhaps the most common in English, though often viewed today as pejorative. The English terms antiziganism and ziganophobia come from zigan, a root used in many European languages' versions of gypsy, including Hungarian (czigány or cigány), German (Zigeuner), and French (tzigane or tsignane).Lawrence, John. "Z is for Zigeuner". Texas A&M University-Kingsville: Department of History, Political Science & Philosophy. Ultimately the root zigan likely derives from Medieval Greek ἀθίγγανος (athínganos) meaning "no touch" or roughly "untouchable".
History
While the period of the first wave of migration of Roma from South Asia is a matter of debate, a wave is believed to have occurred in an attempt to escape the consequences of the invasions by Mahmud of Ghazni. The historical persecution and discrimination of Romani people is also thought to have been rooted in the lowest strata of the Hindu caste system. The ill-treatment of the Doma caste may have compelled them to flee India. Genetic research and historical evidence suggest that the Roma originated from the Dalit, or "untouchable," groups in India. They were commonly associated with occupations such as musicians, dancers, and entertainers, and may have left because of the severe and inflexible caste system that subjected them to social exclusion.
Ian Hancock highlighted that the origins of the Roma can be traced back to the warrior class known as the Rajput warriors. The Rajputs, referred to as "Sons of Kings," represent an ancient martial group that resided in what is now Rajasthan and engaged in various conquests across Asia. They were forcibly taken to Europe and compelled to labor in metallurgy. Hancock remarked that these individuals, 'did not belong to the Kshatriya (warrior) caste, but alongside the Rajputs, whether as captives of war or as victors defeating the enemy, they departed from India. Subsequently, the Roma migrated westward along the Silk Road following these military campaigns towards Persia and Armenia. The Dom caste is believed to have been cursed by Lord Shiva after a member of their community, Kallu Dom, attempted to steal an earring from Goddess Parvati in Hindu mythology, resulting in their discrimination and marginalization. The Roma people also refer to themselves as Roma chave, meaning "sons of Rama," which suggests their historical connection to Hinduism. Many well-preserved Romani legends point to India as their homeland, calling it Baro Than, or "the Great Land." Studies of their language, traditions, rituals, and physical characteristics support the conclusion that the majority of Romani people in Europe are descended from Hindus originating in India. The Romani people are believed to be a mixture of the Dom and the Jats. Pischel suggested that conflicts during the Islamic conquests of northern India might have forced the ancestors of the Roma to leave the region. De Goeje proposed that the Roma could have been followers of the Jats, a warrior group that served in the Sassanid armies. The Romani people are also thought to descend from the Dom, a low caste in India that were beggars, thieves, prostitutes, musicians, and grave-diggers, who gradually left India over centuries to avoid social exclusion.
The antipathy, prejudicial attitudes, and discriminatory treatment directed toward the Romani population have historical roots in Hindu society and the marginalized Dom caste from which they descended prior to their departure from India, undertaken to evade the social ostracization inherent in the hierarchical and inflexible Hindu caste system. According to Hindu mythology and Indian folklore traditions, the Dom community is said to have originated as members of the Brahmin caste who incurred a curse from Lord Shiva as punishment for theft, resulting in their transformation into individuals responsible for cremating the deceased and becoming ritually impure. This mythological curse potentially provides context for understanding the historical marginalization experienced by the Dom caste, which subsequently prompted their descendants, the Romani people, to emigrate from India.
The Romani people trace their origins to the northwestern region of what is now India. Approximately a thousand years ago, this area may have encompassed parts of Balochistan, Sindh, and Multan, which are located in present-day Pakistan.
Following their exit from India, the Romani people gradually made their way into Afghanistan, Persia, and Byzantium before ultimately reaching Europe. During their westward migration, it is thought that two main migration routes emerged: the Roma and Sinti traveled overland through Byzantium and eventually crossed Thrace, whereas the Dom people moved along the Middle Eastern coast and entered Egypt. According to Ian Hancock, the name Roma originates from the Hindi word डोम (Doma). Linguists have traced the migration routes of the Romani people into Europe by analyzing words borrowed from other languages. These linguistic influences suggest that as they moved westward, they passed through regions such as Afghanistan, Iran, Armenia, Asia Minor, and Greece. The Romani language shows significant influence from Armenian and Byzantine Greek vocabulary. Based on the Indian theory, the group that eventually became known as the Roma departed from the Hindu Kush mountain range, on the border between modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan, and traveled along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. From there, in the fifth century, they moved into the Persian Gulf area and the Arab empires of the southern Caucasus.