Something I get asked about a lot:

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Something I get asked about a lot:

Yes, there are ‘Gypsies’ in India today. The Bopa, Banjara, and Lambadi are some of these groups.

They did not historically refer to themselves as Gypsies. That word is a Western bastardization of the word Egypt.

Yes, the Romani migrated out of Northern India (centuries ago).

However, there are no Romani in India.

The groups who are currently known as Romani became known as that ONLY after settling in Europe (technically, we were erroneously called “Gypsies” until establishment of the first World Romani Congress in 1971).

The Sinte, Kale, Calo, and Dom/Lom (and some others) are all separate groups which took different migratory paths and most do not consider themselves related to the Romani (this is especially true of the Sinte and the Dom/Lom).

Genetics research has (at this time) only been able to show that we are related to people from the Indian subcontinent. We share some DNA and some physical traits (for example, did you know that the blood group B- is highly correlated with Indian DNA? As are certain medical complications and disorders which have a high incidence in Romani populations), but it cannot link us to a specific tribe (since centuries of slow and unremarkable travel across the globe have ‘muddied’ our heritage).

However, the Romani (and other groups) are NO LONGER Indian. We do not claim anything but historical ties to Northern India. To tell us to “Go back there” is like telling white Americans to “Go back” to England.

Just so you know.

(this also goes as a shout out to Mr. Anon who told me to (and I quote) “fuck off back to India, whore”)