International Roma* Day

Amdrita Jakupi & Gianni Jovanovic

Around half a million Rom*nja and Sinti*zze were murdered during the Nazi regime. This genocide was not recognised for decades. Germany ignored this history and resisted coming to terms with it. However, activists from the Rom*nja and Sinti*zze community fought just as vigorously against forgetting. It was thanks to them that the first World Roma Congress was organised in London in 1971. Since then, 8 April has marked a milestone in the emancipation movement of Rom*nja and Sinti*zze. Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrate for their rights or show solidarity with the community on International Roma* Day.

Today, we celebrate our history and our present. We stand up for our visibility. Today, we show everyone that we are here. We support each other and share what we have so that we can heal together. We stand up for our autonomy and are not ashamed of our emotions: fear, pain, joy, love – we live all of our feelings. We grow from our traumas and beyond them.

Recognising individual perspectives and lived realities 

We show appreciation for every member of our community by recognising individual perspectives and lived realities. We give people in our community support and freedom. As a community, we create a protective space in which people can grow and develop. It should not matter whether they have a disability or not, what gender they are, or who they love. The key to self-care is that we as Sinti*zze and Rom*nja are mindful of each other. Community care means self-care, and vice versa. Those who care for themselves also have the strength to care for the collective and to take on responsibility. In oppressed communities like ours, self-care is not only a genuine act of resistance, but also a service to the community.

We are a small majority with a lot of power!

Sinti*zze and Rom*nja are constantly labelled as a minority. It is an attempt by the majority society to belittle us and keep us down. It is a system that fuels inferiority complexes and withholds resources from us. This system feeds on exploitation, racism, hierarchies, abuse of power, and destruction. That is why we need to keep reminding ourselves that we have agency and that our voices count. We are not worth less than others or have less agency than they do, as the term minority suggests. Through our self-determination, we can create a new narrative. We are a small majority and there is a lot of power within us. 

We are here and we represent intercultural and transcultural communities. We have experienced many different forms of discrimination, endured suffering, and persevered. We are not alone in this. We are many. We are not only strong individuals, but also members of a strong community. Yet, the dominant majority society tries to divide, categorise, and distract us so that we sabotage each other. We will never let that happen! We are initiating a paradigm shift and breaking the cycle of centuries of violence.

We need genuine representation for our communities in all areas of society

We need to talk about the transgenerational aspects of trauma. In doing so, we talk about ourselves: people who are descendants of survivors. Most victims of collective violence are no longer alive. They have left a void in us that we need to recognise and reflect upon. Too many of our relatives can no longer speak about their experiences. We sorely miss their knowledge. We need safe spaces so that Sinti*zze and Rom*nja can process the transgenerational trauma caused by violence, persecution, and extermination.

We need and demand a national, political, and social environment in which we can live and heal in a self-determined way. What does that mean in plain language? Our communities need genuine representation in all areas of society. Sinti*zze and Rom*nja must have equal rights in all areas of life and be able to participate in decision-making. They belong in schools as learners and teachers. They belong working in public offices, in the private sector, and in the media. They must have the same opportunities as everyone else to lead pleasant lives. They must be able to feel at home in youth centres, sports clubs, church communities, and other meeting places.

We need to promote dialogue between the generations

We are also facing a major challenge within our community. Where possible, we must encourage intergenerational dialogue because it offers a great potential for healing. Our many traumas strain our resources, yet healing is possible and important for the individuals in our communities. Sinti*zze and Rom*nja benefit from a wealth of experience when it comes to leaving the old behind and seeking out new paths. As each of us individually begins to heal, we are able to collectively lift the veil of white supremacy. Unfortunately, we have also internalised racist ideas; it is how we have all been socialised. Let’s talk about it! We need to break our silence because it is the only way to deconstruct the racist, violent, and frozen structures we suffer under. We will speak, but the dominant society must listen to us and change. Racism and discrimination have permanently disenfranchised and disadvantaged Sinti*zze and Rom*nja in all areas of life. They have had to live in constant fear and this has led to collective, increasing trauma.

Sinti*zze and Rom*nja are still marginalised and stigmatised worldwide

The history of the Sinti*zze and Rom*nja is rich, but in socio-cultural and medical terms it has been warped and erased over time. Sinti*zze and Rom*nja were exoticized and criminalised. The violence experienced by our communities under National Socialism, for example, created complex traumas. And they still face oppression in Europe today. They experience deportation, forced evictions, and often suffer from an uncertain right to remain. These violent methods and mechanisms are retraumatising and dehumanising. After all, almost half a million Sinti*zze and Rom*nja were murdered during the Porajmos almost 80 years ago. Survivors, relatives, and descendants of the victims are still being systematically marginalised today. In Germany and around the world, Sinti*zze and Rom*nja are either criminalised or stylised as a problem group in some way. This legitimises Romaphobia and Gadjé racism, and involuntarily makes Roma and Sinti invisible.

We are here today to change that. Today we celebrate our present and our future!


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