American Couple Reacts "Europe's Problem With The Roma"

[@Xayidee]

Really happy you got to react to my suggestion from a few months back. I feel this was a good summary of the community’s history and continued struggles, but it would definitely be worth while reacting to a more in depth video. One interesting and positive fact about the communities around Europe is that they actually do integrate in the countries they live in and this is evident by the fact that they usually share the main religion of the country, their traditions incorporate local customs, their traditional music combines both local and original sounds (like the flamenco in Spain shown in the video, or the Romanian manele or the more traditional folk music “lautareasca”). They also have their own language which unfortunately is not properly preserved or passed on or studied in schools or universities. Historically they are known, on a positive note, for being skilled craftsmen and musicians. Unfortunately, the discrimination is real and still ongoing, and while there are some affirmative action programs, it is not enough. There are a few universities that have Critical Romani Studies programs across Europe, but, for example, in Romania, I think just one university offers a program. I grew up in a mixed neighborhood, never felt unsafe or had any issues, on the contrary, as children we played and had similar interests. Only when growing up did our paths diverge and unfortunately many of my childhood friends abandoned school either because lack of resources or necessity to help support their families. The government definitely does not do enough and turns a blind eye on important issues like school abandonment or more traditional practices like child marriage in the community. Many nationalist politicians chose to demonize people and still segregate (like Pata Rat in Cluj) Romani people instead if making real efforts for integration and investing in education. Many europeans dismiss racism and discrimination against them as being justified which is highly hypocritical for people that condemn slavery in general, and especially in the US.

[@TheDemouchetsREACT]

Thank you for sharing more about them and your personal experiences. We appreciate you!

[@tilenoblak7304]

They Romani and ROMANIAN are not the same people. Romanians originated in europe, romani as the video states in india. So 2 totally ethnic groups

[@nosmokejazwinski6297]

@@ELIAS-hm5noEuropeans didnt come from northern India, it’s the other way around. Indo European peoples originated from the steppes in eastern Europe/Northwestern Asia and migrated both TO western Europe and TO India.

[@Gomb224]

@@nosmokejazwinski6297 Romani came from india.

[@nosmokejazwinski6297]

@@Gomb224 yes but that’s a whole different things

[@Sean-qy1ex]

Romania is Just a name of the state but the actual ppl of Romania don’t they call them Selfs vlach?

[@Gomb224]

Romania and romas/gypsies have nothing to do with eachother. There are a lot of them there but its not their country or origin, gypsies are indians who migrated to europe.

[@kieran1129]

This video is unfortunately incomplete and one-sided. First, the situation is not the same in every countries and there's different communities, they don't all operate the same and some are better integrated than others. Secondly, it's true that the Gypsies/Roma faced a lot of persecutions in history and still do today but in a lot of cases the reputation that they have is not unfounded as various criminal activities is common practice. The video also disregarded the attempts to integrate them in certain countries. In France, it's a mixed bag from my experience and it depends from which communities they're from (we have differents names in french). You have those who do not want to integrate at all, those who do partially or completely (like most of the people in travelling fairs and those who do regular jobs). On a positive note tho, on May 24 and 25 every year in France, there's a pilgrimage, called pilgrimage to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (beautiful town on the mediterranean coast) or pilgrimage of the Gypsies which is a religious and touristic event. You can see the differents traditional clothings and musics from the different communities and it's very fun to see. Also Django Reinhardt, one of the best guitarist of all time was a Gypsy.

[@PGN1967]

I totally agree with you, our countries are not that far from one another. I see what you brought up, not all groups of gypsy people are the same. Some refuse to integrate, or expose their people to reality. (It's almost like Narcissistic person in control of their family). Basically, that is how certain gypsy folks are.

[@stacydacosta2437]

This is very one-sided. Roma communities largely isolate themselves because their culture, values, and norms depart significantly from almost all European peoples. No doubt they face discrimination, but they are not a European people, and they have a way of life that is in many ways incompatible with most European norms. It is easy to be lured by the easy charge of racism, but it is far more complicated than mere racism. And the poverty of most Roma communities has much to do with their mode of living and working that is an intrinsic feature from before they wandered into Europe over 1000 years ago.

[@timmistorey5989]

Agree 💯. Unless you really know it's never understood

[@venus2774]

we do not isolate ourselves because of our culture. don’t talk about our culture if you know nothing about it

[@fallenyetholy1810]

Sounds like you’re trying to excuse racism

[@antoniousai1989]

@@venus2774 I mean, you kinda do. Even your languages have a word for non-Romani people, which is always a sign of isolation.

[@venus2774]

@@antoniousai1989 so since you also have a word for us (and others as well) does that mean you are also isolating yourself?

[@marciusmarciukas5467]

There's a significant Roma population in area where i live and yes they were stigmatized. ROMA people who live with dignity pride work hard are wonderful people, but they hate Roma who tarnish they're name by selling drugs and own women into prostitution, some of kids never went to school or have a passport/ID. Government just fuckin gave up on some of undesirable communities. They were offered apartments, houses they get social benefits. Our capital city has the biggest heroin market in the country guess who runs it? They don't even arrest them anymore because it's pointless at this point. This has been going since i remember.

[@mieroth]

Yeah, it's an insanely high amount of Roma people who are involved in criminal activities, even children are roped in. I think the important takeaway is that this is a population that has lived at the edge of society for hundreds of years, and in many ways their high levels of criminality as a group is a SYMPTOM of the marginalisation they've faced rather than something that is an inherent part of their culture. That's what some people clearly have an issue seeing. Granted - there are other issues in Romani culture like child marriage which I don't think can be explained away by oppression - but they've also not had opportunity to develop socially like other population groups have - in many parts of the world marrying children was common in the not-so-distant past. And the Romani aren't alone as an ethnic group to not have adapted to the more modern views at which age marriage is acceptable. Point is - the Romani people are in a really tough position in general. I do think representation is important here, since most people's experiences with Roma are so negative what is absolutely needed is more positive depiction of Roma people in the media as a first step. As-is it's understandably difficult to convince the Romani to integrate into a society they know they are hated in (for school, work, etc), especially since they'd risk ostracisation from their own people for even trying. So it's truly a no-win scenario for them, it's a really sad situation all around.

[@marciusmarciukas5467]

@@mieroth "Romani culture like child marriage" there was this guy age 34 - 36 with grandkids you imagine

[@TheDemouchetsREACT]

🥴 😔 We’re glad to know this vidoe only shared a little of a bigger story to them.

[@doleofdolonia8859]

I am from a South East Asian country. We do not have any Roma people in our areas. People I know who travelled to Europe always warn me about rampant pickpocketing and general crime. But the ones I hear most negatively about are when encountering Roma/Gypsy groups. I had a neighbor whom had his and his family's belongings stolen by a group of wondering Gypsies on a train in front of them and he was forced to threaten them to get his belongings back. I went to Spain and Portugal for a holiday once and everyone warns us about Gypsies. We encountered some of them but our experience was thankfully positive due to the group only wanting to sell their wears with us. This issue had been on European channels for a very long time and I hope things will get better for the future.

[@sjefkerolleman2094]

In Europe we have two different Gypsy tribes But they are always considered as 1 Those who are called traveler or Jenische are not roma Those are real European Celts They traveled on when the first farmers settled Don't believe the European politic correct history

[@TheDemouchetsREACT]

As always, our videos are for mature audiences only. Allow this to be a place of education and understanding.

[@PROVOCATEURSK]

So you think unmature people are not worthy of being educated?

[@joelmarks2257]

From a Romani person thank you for learning about us and trying to bring our suffering to the light and wanting to show the positive side of us too. I’ve learned a lot about your community also and realized that our two peoples have very much in common.

[@Saibaba93451]

Romani people were from India somewhere in History.

[@Denis-Maldonado]

I read once a proposal to create a Romani state in the disputed land of Kashmir that China, India and Pakistan want. Like the creation of Israel for the Jews, but for the Romanis.

[@aletheiahenosis5962]

I'm half Romani, live in Romania, to be honest, there is a problem with crime among gypsies but there's also hardworking ones who don't commit any crimes. I think governments should give more educational and working opportunities to gypsie families before complaining that they're stealing to survive.

[@PGN1967]

It's not the government, and some Rromani are good people, that also depends on the group that they're affiliated with. Some want more than other gypsy folks fir their families, they're very smart people. When you have a chance check out how well some have done for themselves, you just have certain group that refuses to change. Look up Polish Gypsy singers, Moldova, beautiful homes.

[@Denis-Maldonado]

Every experience my family had with Romani were terrible, they stole from us, threaten us; but i understand a lot of people do it by necessity because they don't know any better and they don't have the same oportunities, we need policies to improve the conditions of people so they don't turn to crime. Still i would totally condemn a romani that does something bad in the present, while advocating for education and policies to improve the lives of romanis.

[@PGN1967]

It has nothing to do with Governments, it's the people.

[@Denis-Maldonado]

@@PGN1967 It has a lot to do with governments, if these people have no education, they won't seek education for their children, especially if their children are likely to also suffer discrimination; "so stick in the closed community because everyone else hate us, and rob them because they are the enemy". The state need programs and awareness campaigns to integrate them into society. For the good of everyone.

[@isomario]

I love how you approach these subjects around the world with understanding and openness to learn all sides of it. Oppression is universal from time began til now, but its so weird to realize how history is rewritten in popular culture like cartoons.

[@ricolync]

Sadly I must say I have prejudices against our romani community here in Finland, but I always try to keep an open mind for everyone from that community. In Finland the romani are traditionalists and wear their traditional clothes and have a strict social hierarchy. If one leaves the community then they are "dead" to them. We definetly should be taught more about their culture, but some of it seems to be kept out of the public. Only real way to get to know about it is to make a friend from that community. Many famous musicians are from romani culture.

[@PGN1967]

Poland has some, also singers and movie stars, they're very well off, beautiful homes, cars, lots of jewelry. They were very well represented by Polish people, but you have some that refuse to do much other than steal and live of government. Moldova near Ukraine also has lots of wealth Gypsies.

[@JanTomiSK]

@@PGN1967 I’m cigan from Slovakia and personally I know their are dirty and normal people but people generalise with everyone if they see one person but in Slovakia these things rarely happen it’s mostly in Romania where the problem is

[@MrC00kieZ]

This documentary doesn't portray the full truth about gipsys. A lot of EU countries have made huge efforts to integrate gipsys, there are programs to hire gipsys, there are programs to enroll them in schools, they have programs to enroll them into universities on specially created spots just for them, they receive free healthcare even though they don’t work and don’t pay taxes. Free abortion was offered not only in Bulgaria, but other EU countries as well, no one forced them into anything, this was done to help the community, they don’t work, they have no means of taking care of children, but they make a lot of them, which they don’t feed, don’t tech, don’t send to school, don’t offer the proper housing environment and so on. In a lot of cases they send the children to beg for money and in some extreme cases they mutilate the children so they are more likely to get money when they beg. Europeans don’t have a problem with gipsys, they have a problem with what gipsys do, which is steal, don’t work, beg for money, don’t pay taxes, take part in organized crime etc etc etc. There is no racism here, most people don’t care where you come from, what your skin color is, what religion you are and so on, but most people care about what you do and what kind of person you are. So, if you don’t want to integrate into the society even though the society is making efforts to integrate you, but you just want to live your life as you see fit, you are free to do so, but gipsy or no gipsy, people are not going to like you, and what do you know, they are also free to do so.

[@PGN1967]

HORIA, I tend to agree with you. I was aware, and have seen progress amongst Rromani, some just like to stay how things are, don't want to change. It's their choice, and you can't force a change on them. There's so many opportunities, and they continue funneling more excuses. I have seen that in many other countries. (In Germany, a Muslim family immigrated, a worker stopped by to interview them. They were living there already for 5 yrs. They managed to have more children, and she asked the husband about his job. He replied that with all the children they had he needed to help his wife, he also won't be able to work because he couldn't speak German.) When I heard that podcast, I said to myself, no wonder we don't want immigrants in Europe, they can continue to have children, and live off taxpayers, but don't want to work. THAT IS WHY EUROPE DOESN'T WANT ANYMORE IMMIGRANTS. We don't see lazy people in good light, we're not USA, were folks live off government. That's why it's going to reach a point in Europe when we're going to start to deport people that want freebies. I'm sure they'll be crying, but those are the choices they're making.

[@TheEmbratka]

thats implicate inside Romani olo. I"m sorry for my english, but i will try explain my thoughts. In Poland we have many processes for 14-15 years girls, who tried to escapoe from theirs families becouse their force them to marrage ussually older man. And they explain that is part of their culture. Dont let mi wrong, if You escape from Your oroigins there is no, or little discriminations, but those are excluded by their own families. The rasism is usually for yhose who provides wild nomad life and refuse obey lows, and explain its culture. You dont wanna born as girl in that society. And if You Rom and live as civilized man and respect human rights you wont be discriminated in Europe

[@PGN1967]

Embarkation. Mowisz pravda. Dzekuje Bardzo. 😅

[@Samuelkings]

that cartoon was Quasimodo, the hunchback , saw it as a kid back in Nigeria

[@mayaawele5797]

The hunchback of Notre Dame. Fellow Nigerian here 🇳🇬🇳🇬

[@Samuelkings]

@@mayaawele5797 yup 😄, that damn cartoon brings back memories of my hate of France lol

[@TheDemouchetsREACT]

Thank you.

[@tinatendi]

There’s a huge community of the Roma community in the UK but I never knew they were called Roma. I knew them to be either Travellers or Gypsys. They’re mostly Catholics and they work for themselves and don’t have bank accounts. They’re rich and have the most fun parties. They spend money on baptisms, weddings etc. They occupy most caravan parks. The women are gorgeous. They usually marry among themselves.

[@TheDemouchetsREACT]

It’s glad to hear of them in a different light!!

[@Alex-tf9vf]

Sounds like you're talking about Irish travellers not roma there next to no roma ppl on the british isles

[@stahlgewitter69]

irish travellers are not roma!! the word gypsy will be used for different kind of groups... dont mix that! the most roma live in eastern europe, mostly on balkan.

[@tinatendi]

@@stahlgewitter69 🙏🏾

[@nicusorluis7274]

I am also a gypsy from my mother's side and from my father's side, I am Romanian, there is a lot of racism in Romania, I live in Finland, work hard and you will overcome anything❤

[@PGN1967]

I totally agree with you. But you have those that will never change. We can only do for ourselves. Bless you! 😅❤

[@optimusvalerius8824]

I'm actually Sinti by ancestry from a sub group of the Roma who settled in Germany . Yes I am educated having a PhD in Psychology, work full time , speak 5 languages but still experience the type of racism mentioned in this re-action video.

[@HHIngo]

Gruß aus Hamburg!🙂

[@piroskaracz3621]

Im Sinti and Romungri...71 y.o. on every video so far that I've seen on YT they always bring the racists out with their stereotypical nazi comments and replies. They disgust me. But to the couple who are reacting to this post I appreciate your emphathy....this is only a fraction what youve learned.

[@sjefkerolleman2094]

Black Americans Didn't Have to Survive the Extinction Policy Law That Only Ended in 2017 In the Netherlands Because it was against human rights. So not really voluntary

[@PGN1967]

I'm European, back in a day Rromani people always presented themselves as Gypsies. The lifestyle they kept in 1950, continued. As I'm looking at Europe again nothing changed. Gypsies now live off government, they don't like to work, educate their people, nor change their way of life. (Some families did give their children an opportunities to better their lives through education and by working). In most cases the parents teach their children to steal, live off government, and survive as they had lived their whole lives. Rromani people are from India, they came to Europe do to prosecution in India. They should be returned to India. That's their homeland, they can also connect with the people that are part of their Genetic history.

[@piroskaracz3621]

Im a 71 year old Romani woman. You do NOT have the right to say we should go back to India...or any other place we should go. We've been in the WEST for 1,000 years in some countries of Europe 600-700 years. These are our homes now ...living there ..speaking its language...cultures...food holidays. Every country of Europe is made of of peoples from different white tribes from outside locations that settled there ...making populations what they are today. Gonna tell them go back where you cane from ? Dont tell us.

[@bossgabor1109]

One of the biggest obstacles for the romani community to integrate is the child arranged marriages... and also a lot of the traditionalist families consider it to be a traitor to their race if you go to school or have employment that is not defined by your tribe for example. Alot of romani choose unemployment over being someones employee beacuse their culture shuns it.. traditional jobs they are allowed to have depends on their tribe but it usually is limited to metalworking, trade and music... source are my Gabor Gypsy friends who invited us to many of these type of weddings

[@frederickmusa4485]

This is my first.time knowing this about the Roma people

[@antoniousai1989]

You're obviously African ROFL

[@DONTHASSLETHEHOFF]

Travellers/Romani people was sterilized by force here in Sweden until 1976.

[@TheDemouchetsREACT]

🥺

[@stahlgewitter69]

every medal has two sides: in europe the countries spend billions in programs to integrate the roma people. and now bet how successful these programs are? i dont know any positive project. success zero... many of them live in very martial clans, children will be learned by stealing and begging. they send to youth to europe for prostutition or criminal stealing and begging. everywhere where these people are is scorched earth... and sure there are also people who are integrated... but many are not, and the most also dont want. i also was personal integrated in such a project and i was believing a long time that it will work with good will and help. i am personal a big fan of these culture and music. these video dont show these parts of the medal. at the end nobody knows a way to integrate the majority of them in the society.... i know many people dont wanna hear that... PS: please dont mix sinthi, roma, travellers etc...

[@antoniousai1989]

You don't even know what the word Martial means, LUL

[@vojgi]

The thing ist, the time for these projects will also run out at some point and the biggest projects are useless, if in the end nothing reaches the people it's about. It's already starting to happen that the Roma are perceived as a low social group and not really as an independent ethnic group whose language and culture are encouraged. The Roma are the first to suffer from all the social problems in a country. If the educational situation and infrastructure are poor, it is not surprising that people are uneducated and earn their money differently or are dependent on social services, especially if they are not treated equally as employees and are not hired. Many countries have not come to terms with their centuries-long crimes, especially the genocide of the Roma during WWII. And some Romanians, for example, still see them as lower. This is a legacy of slavery that affected Roma for at least 500 years in Romania and so on.

[@antoniousai1989]

@@vojgi What has Romania anything to do with Roma? They came from India. Romania has the biggest group but they are spread all around Europe since the middle age

[@PGN1967]

​@@vojgiGenecide in Europe was across the board. Hitler/Germans thought they were better than any of us. That didn't help with what Russians did. Some European are suffering from Russophobia, German Phobia as well. Rromani, Polish, Jewish, Africans, you name it, we all suffered through Genecide from Germans/Russians. Not to mention what Germans left behind in Poland, their Gas chambers, and other torture equipment. I don't care who we are, none of us will forget. I didn't realize the younger generation was aware of all the hideous things.

[@PGN1967]

​@@vojgiHave your folks ever talked as to why they left India? I hear so many different stories, but was curious to hear what Rromani people had to say. I heard that Rroma people were prosecuted by the Muslims, I truly want to know if there is any truth to that. I know Europe was prosecuted by Muslims in Ottoman Empire days.

[@BatsiraiMusuka]

8:07 l know of them more as Gypsy or Travelers. They remind me of the Amish community in the States (only they are a bit more colorful 😅). And definitely was not aware that they faced NAZI persecution with the Jews. 😩 It’s basic “othering”, …in the words of the famous poet, Nasir Jones - “people fear what they do not understand, hate what they can’t conquer”

[@antoniousai1989]

Travelers and Romani aren't the same things. Also, Gypsy is a pejorative, don't address them as such.

[@BatsiraiMusuka]

@@antoniousai1989 thank you for making me understand. Definitely not out to conquer them at all. Just heard that name on mainstream and thought it was acceptable.

[@PGN1967]

WWII many people were prosecuted by Germans/Russians. Jewish, Rromani were not the only ones. Hitler hated everyone.

[@SallieAndrea]

Causal racism about Roma people is prevalent in all of Europe. In England some people will say the wildest things about gypsies.

[@ferencfarkas2729]

As a Roma thank you guys for reacting to this video .. and also thanx for being respectful .. god bless you guys with good fortune health and wealth 🙏 🤲 ❤ ..

[@MHzappy]

In europe we never make them slaves why are you saying that

[@IForgotToWipe]

Romani peoples were brought to Europe via slavery hundreds of years ago.

[@Sean-qy1ex]

They were inslaved in Romania during Dacia period

[@akartmedia3534]

That romani invasion of flemengo

[@Αλέξανδρος-ι4φ]

Very one sided video. Using racism to raise empathy. Sharing their problems but not the ones they create for everyone else.

[@PGN1967]

How do you think they would fare in India?

[@Αλέξανδρος-ι4φ]

​@@PGN1967I'm not from India neither have I lived there so I can't answer your question.

[@mateuszo1238]

they didn't say everything in this video in this video ;-;

[@SintiRomaNews]

thanks for your reaction, im a Roma from Germany

[@mikialyou1009]

Wow. When I was in Greece I was warned about the gypsies to watch for my staff, they will steal. I'm so sorry that I listened. I don't know their story until today. I feel bad now. Thank you for sharing.

[@ayahgrig9218]

You should not be sorry or feel bad. There are many Roma people who go against stereotypes and make good life for themselves, which proves that they can do it. It for sure harder, but it is not impossible. I had two Roma neighbours, two completely opposite families, in terms of lifestyles. First one - good family with "clean earnings", second one - thiefs with drug problems. Unfortunately, a lot of Roma people choosing the crime way - which is easier. Even when they are offered a job, they refuse, because they will get more money by being beggars. Of course, the bigesst fault for all of it lies in European governments, but Roma need to show that they want to be law abiding part of the society. You cannot expect someone to help you if you dont give anything in return.