The Romani are considered to be a mysterious people, one that most of the non-Romani world chooses to either ignore or to despise. Mainstream representations of the Romani range from inaccurate to outrageously offensive, and can be found in everything from Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame to My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. But despite, or perhaps because of, their popularity in Halloween costume shops and as alluring, lascivious dancers in the media, most people possess little or no accurate knowledge about the Romani.
They are known by many names, including Roma, Sinti, and Travelers, but the most common moniker is gypsy—a term that many Romani find derogatory. Like Columbus dubbing the Native Americans “Indians,” people once thought that the Romani were from Egypt—hence the term gypsies. My research into the culture and history of the Romani seeks to join the community of voices, both Romani and otherwise, that are trying to raise awareness of the severe discrimination that Romani face daily all over the world.
My work has been compiled in the form of a young adult novel entitled All the Scattered Stars, which incorporates not only the rights of the Romani, but also environmentalism and feminism. The goal of my novel is to raise awareness for all three issues, and through that awareness, help bring about the change that is so desperately needed.
