Overview

This book of interdisciplinary readings on Gypsies is sensitive to the Romani point of view and avoids exoticizing or patronizing the Gypsies and their culture.

Recurrent Themes

Recurrent themes in the readings include: the historical oppression of the Gypsies including contemporary xenophobia and violence; the nonstatic, heterogeneous nature of Gypsy cultures; the persistence of racist stereotypes; and personal and institutional Gypsy/non-Gypsy relationships.

Essays and Stories

Nearly all of the classic essays updated for this volume tell stories of the persistence of the Roma in the face of savage atrocities and appalling living conditions.