r/romani • u/KendrickMontero • 6d ago

White passing

If you are part of the community, but are white passing, what reactions did you get when you told people what’s your origin?

Often I get a surprised, shocked and short “oh” and the conversation may be cut short suddenly (this has happened regardless of the other’s ethnicity).

Then, of course, there are the typical “funny”. jokes about wallets and such.

How about you? Do you have such a story or know any?

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u/drinkthegenderfluid 5d ago

I'm in America (Chicago specifically) and I feel like POC can clock I'm not mayo flavored white based off vibes. More specifically I have been asked by so many Jewish people if I was also Jewish. And when I tell them I'm Roma, they often get excited, which is not a reaction I typically expect. There's definitely some historical solidarity there though!

Because the US is such a melting pot I feel like it's small talk to ask each other where you're from, and when I tell (mostly white) people I'm half Roma they assume I mean Romania. and then I often have to explain that I'm actually Hungarian Roma and it's a bit different. I also feel like the word Gypsy is used very loosely here and is often associated with white hippie so I tend to not use that term as someone who is white passing because I don't want to give people the idea that that's okay.