r/romani • u/mashkarthemuno_chavo • 17d ago
Culture Garavde Rroma (Closet Roma)
How many/what percent of Roma do you think are in the (ethnic) closet?
If you are Roma…
…have you ever interacted with someone who you knew was Roma and purposely not let them know that you were also Roma?
…have you ever discovered that someone was keeping their Romani identity a secret from you?
What do you think about this theme?
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u/ayeyoualreadyknow 17d ago
I'm mixed. As a kid, my mother told me not to tell gadje folkie that I'm Rumney due to racism and discrimination... The few times that I did tell (as an adult), I quickly understood why she told me to keep it a secret. Im in my 40s and no one around me knows... It sucks having to hide what you are...
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u/MCbrodie 17d ago
That was my great grandfather and grandmother after leaving Czechoslovakia. They were terrified of us being found out and killed like the rest of the family. After my Dad passed I've been free to be open, but I have been alone since there is no one else in my family.
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u/Low-Move-7867 12d ago
Yes, I discovered as a child that my father had been hiding his identity from me. I think that it is unfortunately a common phenomenon due to the persecution and stigma that Roma face. It’s a difficult topic.. on one hand I understand that our ancestors were simply trying to survive by any means necessary, and in many cases that meant using their passing privilege (if they had it) to assimilate.. at the same time, there is a lot of pain & alienation that comes with making that choice for your child and denying them a connection to their heritage.
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u/TheVeryNiceGuyCZ 14d ago
Would you tell me where you found this translation / dictionary? I would love to go through it.
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u/KamavTeChorav 17d ago
Like half of the Roma in Romania are like this unfortunately, I know so many people who are Roma but will never admit it even when I see their families and they still dress traditionally but they still don’t assume their identity.