February 17, 1997 Sound And Spirit c/o WGBH, Boston 125 Western Ave. Boston, MA 02134 I have listened to your program "Spirit and Sound of the Gypsies", produced at WGBH, Boston in association with PRI, which aired on KHPR in Honolulu Tuesday, 2/4/97. You invited comments, and that makes you morally obliged to hear me out. My eyes wanted to cry My voice wanted to scream My fists wanted to fight My heart wanted to flight My soul wanted to hide but My conscience would not let me it makes Me speak it makes Me write. For your information, the misrepresentations you have aired nationally regarding the Roma can be construed as defamation of character, and the subjective harm arising therefrom might well be considered a cause of action which could be filed in federal court. There are roughly 1 million Roma living in the USA. These people have jobs, children in school, young adults applying for jobs. Would you, at WGBH or PRI, hire a person you thought had such different ethics that they thought it OK to steal a chicken?? How do you think your program will affect their position and their prospects. We are not fictional characters, we are real human beings. And it is high time we are taken seriously! The beginning of the future starts with accurate information about who we, the Roma, really are, and our true current situation in the world. It is time to look beyond the stereotypes of thieves and fortunetellers, colorful dresses, and the operatic "Carmen" image. Let me remind you that each culture, without exception, is marked by social problems such as poverty, illiteracy, and crime. These are by no means unique to the Roma. We need not look beyond the American cities to see problems with education (high school crime and illiteracy), teen pregnancy, child abuse, discrimination, unemployment, etc. There is no need to elaborate! It is up to the scholars, journalists, educators, and the news and entertainment media to start projecting the real picture. Ian Hancock, a well respected scholar and Romani leader, and himself a Rom, summarized the reasons for their status and stereotypes nicely (1): "Roma are kept on the move by legislation. Even in this country, current laws forbid Romani Americans to remain in some states, while in modern Britain Gypsies may only stop legally on government reservations, and in modern France they are obliged to carry passes that must be stamped by the police in each parish. Although gypsies are required to keep moving by law, the establishment re-interprets this as evidence of their romantic and free spirit. Forbidden to do business with shopkeepers, the Roma have had to rely upon subsistence theft to feed their families, and thus stealing has become part of the stereotype." But not all of us are nomadic and, as described by Ian Hancock, it is easy to see that our hardships do not project a romantic image. No, the romantic image is not an accurate one! Many of us are sedentary and wish not to be nomadic. We hold various professional positions - we are doctors, lawyers, accountants, teachers, social workers, various artists, writers, actors, poets, builders, etc. We are people, real people, yes people who feel and think and have children who we love, just like you. We don't deliberately deceive the Gajo, we simply do not trust him, but why should we? He discriminates against us, burns our homes, beats our men, tortures our children, rapes our women, and tries to eliminate us from the face of the earth! Let me assure you that there is scarcely a Rom, as there is scarcely a Jew, that is not aware of the Holocaust. Those who survived cannot forget, some marked with numbers burned into the flesh forever. Those who lost their loved ones cannot forget. I know many Roma and Jews who wish not to talk about it, who will avoid the subject altogether, who will even ignore the questions posed to them unless they are with someone they truly trust, someone that truly cares about them. They do not need to see the documentaries - they do not need or wish to be heroes - because in my book they are already heroes. I was raised in the 1950's in eastern Europe and I can tell you that the Jews and the Roma were taught never to disclose their ethnic heritage (if indeed it was not hidden from them altogether by their own parents!) and with good reason!! If Isabel Fonseca concludes that they know nothing of the Holocaust and have no interest, it is because she was excluded from their confidence. The very appearance of such a statement casts great doubt on the validity of the remainder of her collected data, to say nothing of her conclusions! We are Roma and Roma we shall remain. We do not wish to assimilate, we do not wish to give up who we are - we do not want to be sterilized; we do not want to die - would you? We are a nation in spirit, yet we also strive to be individuals - don't you? We are an ancient people of India. Our original homeland is northern India: Delhi and its surroundings: Rajasthan, Eastern Punjab, and Haryana. That is the home or the great land (Baro Than as we call it), that we dream of, the home we carry with us wherever we go, the home we get nostalgic about, believe it or not. Are you perhaps surprised to learn we even have a name for it - or would you rather believe Fonseca's claim that it does not exist? You don't know this, because you don't have to know this, but we do. We have a history of pain and suffering. Our origins/history can be traced to the ancient warrior classes of Northern India - the Kshatriyas, Rajputs, and Jats. We are identifiable by our language, true religious beliefs (as opposed to what may be rendered convenient or necessary by local circumstances), and customs, all of which can be directly traced to those of the Punjab in northern India. There is much linguistic research and evidence linking Romany to Punjabi; compendia of the large number of Punjabi words which are still preserved in Romany; and at least several dictionaries of the Romani language (WR Rishi's Romani, Punjabi, English and Multilingual dictionaries (2,3), AP Barannikov's Romani Russian Dictionary(4)), to name a few. I myself have published poetry in both English and Romani (5), and I would like to call your attention to a beautifully compiled collection of Romani poetry accompanied by English translations from England in 1875 (6). One should not ignore the religious analogies between Roma and the Hindu tradition, and the anthropological research showing the frequency of ABO blood groups among the Roma of Europe closely approximates that of the high military castes in India. Not all "gypsies" or nomadic peoples are Roma. Therefore it is appropriate for the Romany people to be referred to by their proper name, Roma (singular Rom). The name Roma and the Romany flag were approved and passed at the First World Romany Congress, held in London, England in 1971. This organization, run by Roma, composed of delegates representing most European countries, Russia, U.S.A., and India, is dedicated to social issues, war crimes, culture, and language. Their goals include, among others, the standardization of written Romani language, and the development of an encyclopedia (not about but for Roma). The name Roma has also been registered with various international bodies such as the United Nations, in particular, UNESCO, ECOSOC, and the International Human Rights Commission. On October 28, 1983, at the world Romany Congress Festival in Chandigarh, India, former prime minister of India, Indira Ghandi said (paraphrased by Milena Hubschmannova & Jaroslav Jurasek), "There are some 15 million Roms dispersed across the world. Their history is one of suffering and misery, but it is also one of the victories of human spirit over the blows of fate. Today the Roms revive their culture and are looking for their identity. On the other hand, they integrate into the societies in which they live. If they are understood by their fellow citizens in their new homelands, their culture will enrich the society's atmosphere with the color and charm of spontaneity." Let us look at the etymology of the word Rom (7). According to Indian linguists, Paspati & Rishi, the word "Rom" is derived from Rama. From the Sanskrit root ram (ramate, rama) (Vedic also ramati or ramnati) rama, ramna are formed. Rama in Sanskrit has the following meanings: À One who pervades and operates all À One who roams about. À Dark-colored À Husband which is the same as in the Romani language. À Pleasing, delighting, charming (in Sanskrit ramana is masculine and ramani feminine and in Romani language the feminine is also romni (meaning 'wife'). À One who pleases or delights others. "Roma of Europe do please others and delight others by their excellent music and dances", notes WR Rishi in Roma. Nowhere does linguistic evidence suggest a meaning of "man of low caste" as suggested in your program. There IS history, there IS language, there IS home of origin, and there IS culture, my friends! There is a romany culture, known to very few, for your information, collected and documented in the Nehru Roma House & Museum (Nehru Romano Kher) at Chandigarh, India. This culture is rich with world class ethnic and jazz music, dance, theater, art and even literature. There are world famous people of Romani descent, including: Django Reinhardt, a number of Romani musicians and singers, Yul Brynner, Carmen Amaya, Tony Gatlif; scholars and Romani leaders, Ian Hancock, WR Rishi, Vania de Gila Kochanowski, Sait Balic, Jan Kochanowski Poets Leksa Manu , Karlis Rudevi s, Andro Lole tye, Sali Ibrahim, Rajko Djuric. One need also be reminded of the enormous influence the Roma have had on famous artists (such as composers Georges Bizet, Franz Liszt, and poet Federico Garcia Lorca). Flamenco is only one particular dance of many of the Roma, such as the Romani Czardas of Hungary, the Stick dances of India, the Cocek of Macedonia, and various scarf dances of central and eastern Europe. Flamenco is not a sexually charged dance - sorry! The art of Flamenco dance does not express any sexual qualities or characteristics (8). Yes the dance is definitely passionate, and passion is often mis-interpreted as having sexual or erotic connotations. Being a Romani dancer myself, I can assure any audience that in summary the true Flamenco is a dance of passion, struggle, and survival over the millennia, and not one of sexuality. Unfortunately many western popular performers of Flamenco have interpreted and misrepresented the dance as such for lack of understanding its roots and origins. The true story of the Romani people must be told in order for us to move towards a better future. There are Roma and Romani organizations who can (and do!) represent their own people, including The Roma National Congress, International Roma Federation, European Roma Rights Center, Union Romani. It just takes more effort to find them than to talk to the Gajo (non-Roma). In spite of all my grievances, I truly believe that you meant no harm. On the contrary, your program was meant to be somewhat educational and entertaining, and musically it was indeed entertaining. But tell me, if the program had been about the Afro-American, the American Indian, the Hawaiian, or perhaps some other culture, would you air so many misconceptions and inaccuracies as you have about the Roma without receiving numerous phone calls, threats, lawsuits, and even riots in the streets?! Just contemplate for a moment the potential reaction on a hot summer's evening in Los Angeles, New York, or even Boston or Philadelphia to a media statement such as "Black Americans disobey local laws, speak their own language, practice suspicious professions, have no home or history or written language, and no dream of a homeland.." Is your program not funded by State or Federal grants, supported by the public, members of public radio, and/or the taxpayers? Does your producer not have the responsibility to air accurate information, and check his sources? Does your listening public not have a right to expect more of public radio? I strongly feel that a public statement from you correcting the misconceptions and misrepresentations is essential. I plan to publish my objections to your program statements about the Roma, and would also be willing to publish an appropriate corrective response from you. In conclusion, I have one wish. That I could get on the air and say: "Roma, Dear Roma of the World, I am so sorry for what has been said about you in this day and age. I know you are used to this, but that is no excuse, no reason to continue to degrade and discriminate so. You and your children who are our future are beautiful people, colorful souls, and I love you so. Please have it in your heart to forgive, for I believe they meant well... they just don't know. Actually they don't know that they don't know. On your behalf, I'd like to ask them, Do not bury us standing - or in any other position - please and thank you." References: 1. Hancock, Ian. Introduction to The Gypsies of Eastern Europe. David Crowe and John Kolsti, eds., Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 1991. 2. Rishi, W.R. Multilingual Romani Dictionary. Roma Publications, 3290/15-D, Chandigarh India. 3. Rishi, W.R. Romani, Punjabi, and English Dictionary. Roma Publications, 3290/15-D, Chandigarh India. 4. Barannikov, A.P. Romani Russian Dictionary 5. Hava-Robbins, Beyond Survival. Roma # 44-45, 1996. Roma Publications, 3290/15-D, Chandigarh India. 6. Leland, Charles Godfrey. English Gypsy Songs in Romany, 1875. 7. Rishi, W.R. Roma. 1976 Punjabi University, Patiala, India. pp 10 - 12. 8. Claus, Madeleine. Baile Flamenco. Chapter in Schreiner, Claus, ed. Flamenco. Amadeus Press, Portland, Oregon. 1990. Translated from the German 1985 Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt am Main by Mollie. pp. 89 - 120 Sincerely, Nadia , MA cc: Roma National Congress International Roma Federation Sa-Roma Ian Hancock - Professor of Linguistics University of Texas at Austin WR Rishi - Editor, Roma, and Director, Indian Institute of Romani Studies Flamenco Sin Limites / Omayra Amaya