10 Ways to Appreciate Romani Culture
Festivals are a great way to partake in a culture different from your own. Romani people have numerous festivals throughout the year, many of which are open events and welcoming to non-Roma participants. Festivals, such as the Appleby Horse Fair, Khamoro, and the California Herdeljezi Festival, are all great examples of open cultural events that allow you to actively participate in aspects of Romani culture.
For a list of some more Romani festivals, click here!
Romani media is completely underrated. There are a plethora of great producers, actors, musicians, and radio personalities who are ethnic Roma. Consuming media is one way we can actively engage with and learn about another culture without being disrespectful.
For a list of Romani media, click here!
Romani authors are plentiful, and with a larger-than-ever presence of Roma on the internet, Romani books and poetry are becoming much more accessible. There are numerous books that have been translated from the Romani language in English, Russian, Hungarian, French, Spanish, and various other languages. A quick internet search can now produce comprehensive lists of ethnic Romani authors.
4. Buy Real “Gypsy” Fashion
Retailers, such as Romani Design, and the Tzigania Store, have made Romani-inspired clothing and jewelry accessible to and designed for both Roma and non-Roma. If you like traditional Romani motifs, purchasing clothing from a store like Romani Design not only supports ethnic Romani designers, but also allows you to consume Romani fashion in a way that is not appropriative.
If you’d like to learn more about appropriation versus appreciation, click here!
While Roma have varying opinions on non-Roma learning our language, generally speaking, learning a foreign language is one way to appreciate a different culture.There’s also the added benefit that knowing more than one language has been proven to positively impact brain function. There are several reputable books and websites that can assist in Romani language learning endeavors.
Support Romani arts by purchasing Romani art, or going to galleries where Romani art is featured. As Roma, our traditional artwork is often overlooked and comes second to non-Romani depictions of us. Supporting Romani arts and efforts to preserve Romani arts has a profound impact on our communities, and allows you to appreciate Romani culture.
To learn more about Romani arts initiatives, click here!
7. Donate to Romani Causes
One way to appreciate Romani culture and ensure its preservation is to actively support Romani rights causes by donating to NGOs or participating in human rights events centered on Romani rights. There are numerous existing organizations that help Roma around the world. However, some of these organizations struggle to receive proper funding, or are promised funding that becomes tied up and “lost” by incompetent politicians.
For a list of Romani NGOs, click here!
Learning about the history of our people and culture allows you to better appreciate it. Sometimes, history can help put culture into context. Why people continue to practice certain traditions can be as important as the tradition itself. Learning about the history of Romani people can also give non-Roma perspective as to why we keep certain aspects of our culture guarded. Understanding closed versus open cultures, and what that entails, can be a great way to show appreciation for a particular culture.
To learn more about Romani history, click here!
Romani music is both diverse and beautiful. We have a rich musical history and our contributions to modern music genres are often underappreciated. We had a great influence in European classical music, as well as Jazz and Flamenco. Listening to Romani music is a great way to appreciate Romani culture. Some excellent musicians are Ando Drom, Esma Redzepova, Via Romen, and Gipsy Kings, among others. Check out this page for some more Romani musicians by country!
Sometimes the biggest appreciation we can give is to listen to people speak about their own culture. If we say something misrepresents us, or is offensive, it’s probably because it is. There are many depictions of Roma that are steeped in racism, whether we realize it or not. If members of the Romani community ask you to respect our culture, the biggest appreciation you can give is just listening to us. Listening to ethnic Roma speak about our culture, or reading and sharing articles written by ethnic Roma are both ways of appreciating Romani culture.
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