#lyuli

[ektenia]

A Lyuli home in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, photographed by Anzor Bukharsky (source)

[ektenia]

Interior of a Lyuli home in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, photographed by Anzor Bukharsky (source)

[opinionatedromawriter]

Generalising Groups Is A Shithead Move

When you say you have a Native American character, that tells me jack shit. Are they Navajo? Sioux? Choctaw? Powhatan?

When you say you have an African character, where the fuck do you mean? Algerian? Are they Cameroonian or Kenyan? Do they come from North Africa? Maybe Central?

If you tell me about your Asian character, how am I meant to know if they’re Chinese or Vietnamese? Indian? Are they from Bahrain? Or are they from Thailand?

If you talk about your 'gypsy’ (shudder) character, you’re gonna have to be more specific. Are they Irish traveller? Or maybe they’re Sinti. Or are they Ashkali or Ursari or maybe even Lyuli? Maybe, like me, they don’t even say they’re Romani on paperwork to avoid the prejudice (a privilege us white-passing Rom have, but darker skinned Roma don’t)

See how this works? Generalisations fucking suck, man. And if you’re a white writer who can’t be arsed to do the fucking specific research, don’t write the character. Leave it to someone who gives a shit.

[aj-rromale]

Lyuli in Tajikistan. History of the Lyuli.

I attempted to translate this, but unfortunately my Russian is a bit lacking, so I will write out what I did understand of it.

Dushanbe, Tajikistan. In Russia, they are known as "beige refugess", but here they are simply called Lyuli. Locals are able to spot them easily for their dark complexions. As in Russia, they take alms and do fortune-telling, and the locals give them money not out of love for them, but fear (disgust?).

The history of the Lyuli is more known by historians than the Lyuli storytellers themselves. The "children of the big road" originally came from India, bringing along their ancient customs and traditions. They live on the outskirts of cities, and their villages spring up from under the ground. They build their homes out of clay (mud), mixing it with water. This village is composed of 120 homes, and just as many families. Windows and doors are always open, and dirty children run around in the streets.

During the summers, these "children of the big road" travel, in search of warmer climates and friendlier people (in terms of who will give alms).

If someone understands more, or better, what the reporter says, send an ask, please, and we will correct it. For now, this is it, if not the gist.

Aliska