International Roma Day
Yesterday was "International Roma Day," a day dedicated to celebrating the Roma culture, as well as drawing attention to the still-existing prejudice and discrimination that exists against them.
In our village, the Roma people (around 75 of them that live here) put on a showcase of traditional dancing and singing. Not too many people came to see it that weren't Roma themselves.
Moldova, despite its small size, is the home to many different ethnic minorities (many of whom have been displaced, and displaced again, and again), Roma just being one of them. And unfortunately, diversity is not encouraged or valued very much here. Moldova, like many other places, often falls into the "us" vs. "them" state of mind, which is not surprising for a country that has been ruled/invaded/bossed around by so many outside entities throughout history.
Before going to the concert, my host mother warned me to take extra care of my belongings, so that "no one would steal them."
It is hard for me to talk to people about stereotypes here. Partly because there is a vivid fear of the outsider, partly because people here haven't been exposed to any real form of diversity (whether it be ethnicity or religion). My usual approach is to ask them what they thought of Americans before they met me, and to see how I meet / don't meet their expectations (tall, from a city, very rich, arrogant, loud, stylishly dressed). And they end up saying, usually, but "you are an exception..."
I'm done with this post, as I can't finish my train of thought. Sorry. Here are a few pictures from the Roma Day event, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
In our village, the Roma people (around 75 of them that live here) put on a showcase of traditional dancing and singing. Not too many people came to see it that weren't Roma themselves.
Moldova, despite its small size, is the home to many different ethnic minorities (many of whom have been displaced, and displaced again, and again), Roma just being one of them. And unfortunately, diversity is not encouraged or valued very much here. Moldova, like many other places, often falls into the "us" vs. "them" state of mind, which is not surprising for a country that has been ruled/invaded/bossed around by so many outside entities throughout history.
Before going to the concert, my host mother warned me to take extra care of my belongings, so that "no one would steal them."
It is hard for me to talk to people about stereotypes here. Partly because there is a vivid fear of the outsider, partly because people here haven't been exposed to any real form of diversity (whether it be ethnicity or religion). My usual approach is to ask them what they thought of Americans before they met me, and to see how I meet / don't meet their expectations (tall, from a city, very rich, arrogant, loud, stylishly dressed). And they end up saying, usually, but "you are an exception..."
I'm done with this post, as I can't finish my train of thought. Sorry. Here are a few pictures from the Roma Day event, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, April 09, 2008 at 11:29 AM.
