The Roma community in Spain

Facts and stereotypes

HISTORY

Arrival

•  The Roma community arrived to Spain around the

1415 trough the Pyrenees

•  The presented themselves as Egyptian nobles

Egipciano = From Egypt

Gitano = Gypsy

Arrival

•  The Roma community arrived to Spain around the

1415

•  The presented themselves as Egyptian nobles

•  Well integrated: Participated in trade and social life

of the local communities

Catholic Kings

•  1499: Forced conversion to Christianity & stop of

nomadism or eviction.

•  Some of them settle down in the outskirts of the towns,

where criminals and other marginalized communities

used to live à Non-Roma community will associate the

Roma community with their actions.

XVIII Century

•  The King Fernando VII allows and promotes the

systematic prosecution of all gypsies to “arrest and

extinguish them”

•  The King Carlos III forbids the discrimination of

gipsies in the guilds and abolish the prohibition of

nomadism.

SITUATION NOWADAYS

General information

•  Population: Between 500,000 and 600,000

•  Living in the outskirts of the towns

–  Exception: Andalucía (50% of the population)

•  Main problems:

–  Drugs

–  Unemployment (43%)

–  Schooling (80% do not finish secondary education)

Main economic activities

• Street  market  sellers  •  Construc0on  workers  

•  Scrap  merchants  

Stereotypes and facts

•  They  do  not  want  to  be  integrated  

Stereotypes and facts

•  They  do  not  want  to  be  integrated  

•  Around  2/3  of  the  Roma  

popula0on  is  well  

integrated  with  the  rest  

of  the  Spanish  

community  

Stereotypes and facts

•  They  do  not  want  their  kids  to  go  to  school  

Stereotypes and facts

•  They  do  not  want  their  kids  to  go  to  school  

•  Almost  the  100%  of  the  

Roma  children  go  to  

school.  Even  though,  

80%  of  them  do  not  

finish  the  compulsory  

educa0on    

Stereotypes and facts

•  It  is  a  sexist  culture  

Stereotypes and facts

•  It  is  a  sexist  culture   •  The  role  of  the  leader  is  normally  taken  by  the  eldest  man  of  the  community  

•  It  is  s0ll  common  to  check  the  woman’s  virginity  as  part  of  the  wedding’s  ritual  

Stereotypes and facts

•  The  hoard  the  social  aid  

Stereotypes and facts

•  The  hoard  the  social  aid   •  According  to  the  Spanish  law,  it  is  forbidden  to  give  

a  different  treatment  to  

different  ethnici0es,  so  

Roma  can  apply  to  the  

same  funds  as  non-­‐Roma  

Spaniards  

References  Informa(on  

•  Fundación  Secretariado  Gitano  (www.gitanos.org)  

•  Unión  Romaní  (www.unionromani.org)  

•  CEPVI  (www.cepvi.com)  •  Personajes  de  origen  gitano,  

Wikipedia  (hYp://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anexo:Personajes_de_origen_gitano)  

Photos  •  Wikipedia  

–  hYp://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pueblo_gitano  

–  hYp://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historia_del_pueblo_gitano  

•  hYp://images.coveralia.com/audio/a/Azucar_Moreno-­‐Unicas-­‐Frontal.jpg  

•  hYp://blogs.20minutos.es/el_10_futbol/files/Guiza.jpg  

•  hYp://conciertosperu.com.pe/wp-­‐content/uploads/2009/10/CIGALA-­‐FOTO.jpg  

•  hYp://cinemania.es/app/webroot/img/conts/estopa_1348.jpg  

•  hYp://es.globedia.com/imagenes/no0cias/2012/3/22/vidas-­‐gitanas-­‐granada_1_1146670.jpg