Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
They are very close knit, stick together like glue no matter what..... they leave a mess wherever they go, and yet the ones who live here in the static caravans seem to keep them lovely.. but they seem to be not trusted, by the general public I think.... I was taking photos in a street where I used to live years ago..... and where a gypsy camp is now..... while I was busy clicking away a young mother came out of the compound with a baby in a buggy, and approached me asking why I was taking photos..... I said "Im taking them of the street where I used to live... and only some factory walls remain....one of which was round where she lived..... she asked if I was from the newspapers.... I was polite explaining to her that this was a hobby of mine when I could have told her where to go and that I was in a public street..... but she went on to explain that the media at that time were down on the gypsy community and she thought I was spying....
They are very close knit, stick together like glue no matter what..... they leave a mess wherever they go, and yet the ones who live here in the static caravans seem to keep them lovely.. but they seem to be not trusted, by the general public I think.... I was taking photos in a street where I used to live years ago..... and where a gypsy camp is now..... while I was busy clicking away a young mother came out of the compound with a baby in a buggy, and approached me asking why I was taking photos..... I said "Im taking them of the street where I used to live... and only some factory walls remain....one of which was round where she lived..... she asked if I was from the newspapers.... I was polite explaining to her that this was a hobby of mine when I could have told her where to go and that I was in a public street..... but she went on to explain that the media at that time were down on the gypsy community and she thought I was spying....
When I am back in Glasgow, the only gypsies I see are begging on the street or selling the Big Issue.
The Roma minority here is not integrated at all. A sad thing to say, but sometimes it feels they are completely outside the normal society. The unemployment rate is staggering (close to 50%), a quarter of the Romani kids don't get their elementary school diploma (opposed to 0.5% of the native population), and the murder rate among Roma is 18 murders /100,000 people, as the nationwide is 2/100,000, the blood feud is still going strong. And the overall crime rate... I don't want to even talk about it.
Of course the Roma have to deal with a lot of racism and prejudice, and it's a shame that those who want to be part of the society, work, and live like 'normal' people have a hard time doing that. On the other hand, many Roma think that to work for the 'whities' or education is against the Roma culture, and many don't even want to be part of the society. And I have to admit that sometimes some Roma are doing their best to worsen people's views against them.
Here in Canada, the Romani are only seen in big cities, where they gather together, in communal houses.
The men tend to be in some kind of "nearly illegal " work, such as asphalt driveway spraying, or phony chimney repairs, or selling stolen stuff on the street. The women are either into shop lifting, using their kids as decoys, or fortune telling scams on old people. Most have up to four phoney identities, with made up names and addresses. Many will not even acknowledge their real name, or family relationships.
Kids are not encouraged to attend school past age 14 , and the girls get married very young, and all ways to a member of the clan. Having many kids is a way to increase the family income, as each new baby is a another name to put on the welfare rolls.
In the past few years, Canada has seen a big increase in refugee claims from Hungary, most of whom are actually Romani people. We are talking about thousands, a year. With our lax Immigration and Refugee regulations , they are hard to get rid of, even when their Refugee claim has been denied. Most just change their name, and go underground, within their own culture.
Of course, they maintain that they are being unfairly treated, but it sure looks like they are a drag on our society, with little contribution to our society, at all.
1. Beggars straight from Romania/Bulgaria/... who just come here to sell newspapers. Not integrated at all
2. About 5000 people who are living in the Burgenland region. They are Austrian citizens, who settled a couple of hundred years ago. Unique culture, quite integrated, but still different.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
