On the "why Romani don't have a state" question, it's also helpful to remember that states/nations/countries haven't always existed and that most distinct peoples even today don't have their own political units called states/nations/countries. They're actually not really natural but were imposed during a specific period of time that continues today.
Almost like survivors bias. Especially when looking at a map of Europe, you miss all of the ethnic groups that easily could have a nation but don't. Like the Sami, Catalans, or Bretons, or Basque for example. Ethnic groups are even more complex than nations, and people (especially Americans, let's be honest) don't have a good understanding of that complexity.
States as we currently understand them are a consequence of the Treaties of Westphalia in 1648, and the signers didn't intend to invent a new kind of country so it didn't spring into existence clearly in that year. States have existed for about as long as trousers and Quakers. Romani people have existed much longer.
@oliverxhmll Indian isn't really an ethnicity, it's a national identity. India was founded in 1948, more or less from the remains of a BRITISH colony. That's why there's no Indian language or Indian customs. There's Hindi and Tamil and Punjabi, as well as Hinduism and Islam and Sikhisim, but because Romani people werent included in that nation building, they dont have a nation.
It's eye-opening to see these common misconceptions about Romani culture addressed so directly. The history of discrimination they’ve faced is often overlooked. More conversations like this are needed!
Hope y’all enjoyed this new video! More videos coming soon, including exciting collaborations and videos in Europe so stay tuned and make sure you keep your notifications on so you never miss a video! Also feel free to ask any more questions you have in the comments or any clarifications on my answers, this comment sections acts as an open forum for me and other Roma to answer your questions!
@@dkeith-fc8hnI have a full length video on it! Here is the link: m.ua-cam.com/video/so2mJ5QNbTw/v-deo.html Basically it’s our native name in our language and comes from our ancient caste in India.
I'm home for Xmas in Ireland. Having a conversation with a relative and hearing a lot of uninformed and half baked opinions on Irish Travellers and Romani people. I'm sharing this video with them.
Thank you for making these videos! I live in Finland and unfortunately our Romani citizens are quite segregated from the rest of the population due to the hundreds of years of poor treatment they've faced. This segregation means that a lot of people's understanding of Romani culture relies solely on stereotypes and outsider perspectives. I know this is a common story all throughout Europe. I hope your videos reach a lot of people and the perspectives can start to shift.
Thank you very much for your videos! Living in Italy, i have never heard anyone talking positively about romani people (the only way I've heard of romani people before i had access to the internet was with the italian version of gypsy, which already says a lot) but i hope that with your work and dedication people can change their minds and hopefully stop being racist. I knew most of the things discussed in the video fron yow videos or other's but it was really interesting and could definitely be a good starting point for a lot of people (I'm sending this to my friends). I uope you all the good luck!!!
Great video as always. I would like to ask, what are the names of Romani scholars, writers, musicians or organisations that you'd recommend to someone who wants to learn more about your history and culture?
Great Question! I’ll give you three recommendations for each one but there are hundreds of great people for each category so this is just a very quick list: Scholars: Magda Matache Delia Grigore Ian Hancock Writers: Philomena Franz Ceija Stojka Papusza Musicians: Vera Bila Cameron de La Isla Romica Puceanu Organizations: Dikh He Na Bister European Roma Rights Centre European Roma Institute of Arts and Culture
I didn't even search for your channel, it just popped up on my feed a few days ago, and watching your videos is a great experience already! Romani people are extremely discriminated against in Russia, which is really sad (and as far as I know - in neighboring mostly white countries as well, like Belarus), and I haven't been able to find any good sources on Roma/anything coming from an actually Romani person instead of some white guy. 😭 You're doing great work! Thanks and much love from Russia, and from a mixed nationality/etchnicity (non-Roma) queer dude (me) 💙✊ *edit: typos
The "how do Romani people make money" question pretty much answered something my mother asked me recently when we were talking about Romani people. "What Jobs do Romani people do that are still living in a traveling lifestyle?" Because of course, Romani people do any and all Jobs that exist, especially if they dont travel, but we thought that there are a lot of jobs that dont work out very well if you travel. For example a doctor or a teacher at a school. So I did already know about traditional Romani trades, like the ones you were mentioning in the video, but I imagine that many of these are harder to do for a living in a modern world. So thats why we thought about which kinds of jobs work well with a traveling lifestyle.
your background setting is really nice! and i liked your critical outlook on ethnostates - they can definitely be dangerous in some aspects, i mean we're seeing a genocide happen right now...
Hi, Florian! Before I started watching your videos, I didn't even know "gypsy" was a slur, and I had no idea there was another word (which is in fact the correct one) to refer to the ethnic group. Thank you so much for the very informative videos! I looked up the etymology for the word "cigano", which is what people are normally called in Brazil, and I had no idea its origin was so awful. I love learning more about your beautiful culture with every upload :)
I have heard that in other languages, specifically iberian ones, their translation of the G-term is not considered offensive by those Roma. the terms “cigan@/gitan@“ are more neutral and for some seen with a sense of pride.
Something that I've always found fascinating is how I basically found out by playing Assassin's Creed Revelations that the term Gypsy came from the misconception at the time that they originated from Egypt. And we learn this because Ezio, the main character interacts and seeks to help the Romani community in Constantinopele/Istanbul. One of the Romani actually explains it to him as she also gives him more context on how they are treated in Constantinopele/Istanbul (in the 16th century). Part of the reason she explains it is also because Ezio is an Italian man.
Florian, I am from the USA and I appreciate that you take the time and effort to educate others about the Romani people. We have been learning a lot from your videos and hope you will continue.😃
You are doing the world a great service by explaining the history of Romani people. Fantastic material and we all should share this, if only to allow folks to see what foolish prejudices we labour under.
Great video! I have been learning a lot from your channel. On another note that does not have to do with the video, your skin always looks great! What's your secret, it looks flawless
Thank you! The secret is the software I film on has an automatic feature that corrects skin tone, my skin has been getting better but I definitely still do have some blemishes and acne scars!
@@florida.florian in regards to this topic, can someone of non Romani Culture wear or buy Romani clothing and other items from Romani owned businesses, or is it frowned upon? Rather than buying/wearing "Boho or Boho Chic" items
Hi! I just saw Nosferatu last night and I believe they had a depiction of Romani people in one of the villages! It was a good movie only a little scary❤ No spoilers here, but I just want to describe the scene: A traveler happens upon a village where he’d like to stay and children swarm him laughing, everyone comes out and start to sing and play instruments, it seems to be an instant party for the traveler, then all of a sudden the mood turns a bit darker but everything is ok. The people at first seem nondescript, perhaps Eastern European but dressed in mostly grays, except I see a woman with coins on her scarf, that could be from anywhere but I hope you get to see the movie!
Such an informative video. I know that Dom or Domari people are different from Roma but would love a video about them as there isn't that much info on them. A lot of them are ashamed to disclose that they are Dom in the Middle East. Also, sadly their language is going extinct.
I really like this channel. It has helped me get rid of stereotypes I had been taught were true and now I think Romani culture is very interesting and pretty. Thank you :)
I would love to hear more about Romani clans, their origins and their traditions, if certain clans were well known for certain jobs. This is history non-Romani people like myself do not hear about. I love your channel for this. You are such a good storyteller and I think it is important to learn about different cultures, particularly those that are often hidden and historically persecuted so that we learn to accept and understand those who are different from ourselves. Thank you.
I love this so much,I want to do research but scared to find something that's misinformation which is a lot and sad. I respect this so much because I wish my own people were able to keep their culture after slavery and colonization but unfortunately not so.
I loved this style of video show much! I would absolutely love a deep dive into modern Romani fashion! It is probably super silly but I only ask because I live in Germany and I see so many Romani women wearing wedge-high healed sandals in all weather and temperatures. I can surmise that it serves a practical function to keep the hems of their skirts dry. Which absolutely makes sense. I also very rarely see girls over the age of 13 wearing pants/jeans and I would just love to know more about the clothing traditions of Roma women and girls. That is only if it is ok to share that information! I don’t want to intrude or stick my node where it doesn’t belong.
Hello, Florian. Thank you for your videos. They are informative, enlightening & entertaining. I am fascinated that there are so many different clans all over the world. I was wondering if, in the future, you plan on doing Q & A type collabs with representatives from different clans to see where the similarities and differences fall with respect to cultural diversity. I know some things will necessarily be different when talking to a Christian versus a Muslim, but apart from the obvious differences, my interest would be in hearing from a reliable source what are the significant traits, beliefs, customs or practices of the defined clan groups? I appreciate everything that you're doing. You and your work matter. Hugs
I Love this! ALOT of misinformation still out there. And I follow you under my government name on IG. And we don't agree on some personal convictions, but as fellow Romani, I think you're doing a great job at educating folks on our people. Keep it up young man. PS: how does one acquire a similar hoodie/sweater? It's beautiful!
Love you, Florian 💕 I am Indian by country of birth and also by nationality, very much brought up in India (New Delhi, to be precise). Florian, I dunno how much sense it would make but I really, truly feel nomadic in spirit and a dancing, hopping around girl, ever since I was a kid. I didn't know why I was so attracted to this dancing, celebrating life on-the-go kinda culture, why I believed in carrying one's culture with oneself wherever one goes and not asserting a need for a specific 'state' or 'territory' to call one's home/homeland. I have researched a bit about the nomadic tribes in India and I am keen on doing a long term research on their practices/ traditions while attempting to live with each for better appreciation of their culture/way of life. I am a lawyer by training and while this crazy streak remains ever unsatiated, I ain't giving up, man! And when I watch your super informed, honest, and highly spirited content on Romani people, I am left smitten by this awe inspiring work of yours. Please continue to enlighten us more with your honest research on the topic, as this one remains close to my heart. Love ñ light 🩷🤍 Edited: And after watching your whole video I do appreciate that not all Romani people are nomadic to date and that not all prefer to stay nomadic, the ones that do, I hope they do it by choice and not solely for safe harbours.. As for myself, I guess, this is relatable, staying nomadic to stay safe. This goes way deeper, man! 🤔
Have you seen Peaky Blinders? It’s the only show I’ve ever watched that portrays Romani culture, primarily in the later seasons where they lean more into the magic and superstition part. It would be cool to see someone who’s actually Romani give their thoughts on it.
I think he's addressed this before, but I can't recall which video. I do remember in earlier seasons, they were literally speaking Romanian (which is not the same as Romani). I think it was fixed later on, but brain fog has yeeted the details unfortunately.
Amazing video! I do have a question regarding mythology/folklore if that's okay :D Now I'm aware that it's a closed practice culture so I won't be digging deeper into the stuff that people rightfully don't want to share but I'm curious if any of the mythological creatures/folk tales or folk heroes have been known enough to be mentioned in other folkores without the people realizing that it originated from the romani? For example some of the romani words are now used in English so if there's any similar instance when it comes to the folk tales/mythological creatures? Of course there is no need to answer if it's something that should not be told :)
Yeah there’s definitely a lot of examples of that, I would say usually people do realize they are Romani and label them as “Gypsy” so for example in places in South America and the Carribean there are Umbanda and Santeria Practioners and they have Romani spirits and have even borrowed the Romani patron Saint Kali Sara into their culture
I kinda want to hear your take on Natalia Vinter/Natalie Winter... aka the very white woman who pretended to be Romani and spoke some dead romani language that was just a mashup of any Romani words she could get her hands on. (Rroja and ribbons on tumblr talked about her, but I'd like to hear your opinion, since it's a wild story)
Yeah unfortunately i’m familiar with the story, personally i’ve never interacted with this individual but their story sounds so similar to the worrying trend of “fauxmanism” in online spaces, this article by Romanichal Activist Julia Lovell perfectly sums up my thoughts: gypsyindustry.wordpress.com/
@@florida.florian It is a very worrying trend. Like how people have pretended to be a Native American (even going to extreme lengths). It's really bizarre. Natalie Winter took it to the worst kind of extreme by trying to influence research/scholarship, which just makes her story stand out to me. Thank you for the reply. I really appreciate your work!
Please do a Nosferatu review, as soon as that Roma scene happened I was like I WANNA KNOW WHAT FLORIAN THINKS. At the end of the day, they seemed to be on the side of good but it definitely seemed to perpetuate stereotypes I wouldn’t have thought Hollywood (especially hipster-directed cinema) would still want to.
Thank you for educating us on your people, I would say the discrimination has happened to you long enough yet it shouldn't have even happened in the first place. I was wondering if you'd ever cover the Sanka sometime or "People of the mountains". According to my research, they're basically Japanese Romani people. Japanese culture is my special interest and it'd be really cool to see you talk about the Romani people from that country 💗💕
Cool video! When it comes to the bear taming job, was it like trying to domesticate the bear or something similar? If so that sounds quite interesting :D
Speaking of those talks in the late 1800s and early 1900s about forming a Romanistan... What the heck even is a "King of G*psies", and what criteria were there to even qualify as such?
It’s a self-proclaimed title usually by the head of a Romani community, the big man who gets promoted to that position by the elders of that group and then sometimes they go on to call themselves the “King of the Gypsies.” Many people have claimed that title however, it really hid no weight as usually they only have influence over their own specific communities since Romani people don’t have any sort of unified state and we are very diverse.
Hey florian, this video was great. I absolutely love your longer form videos. You have a very relaxing vibe and it’s also fascinating to learn about the Romani. Knowing about them, I feel more worldly. I actually met a Romani person (in person) for the first time recently - she was very kind and donated to our fundraiser. I know that may sound weird, but i have never seen a Romani person face to face before lol. Anyways, I have a quick question - what are some traditional Romani dishes? Are there any places you’d recommend that you’ve been to? How could one find a romani restaurant? Thank you and much love! ❤️
My favorite Romani dishes are Shah hai mas, Sarma, and Gulash but there are so many, unfortunately Romani restaurants are very rare but hopefully soon we will see more pop up!
In comments sections, European commenters leave some really mask-off r*cist comments about Romani people, worse than what people in the USA can get away with saying about bIack people (yet folks from Europe often collectively think r*cism is "a USA thing"). So I'm wondering: which societies have made the the most progress in treating Romani people as equally valuable?
What a wonderful surprise to drop this Q & A video, Florian! ❤ Thank you for clarifying a lot of concepts & understanding about Romani people. 😊 I can use these answers if any of my students ever have similar questions or doubts. 😊 Your statement "We're are still proud of our Indian roots" won my heart. ❤ Waiting for more Q & A videos! Keep it up! 👍
A bit off the cuff and more of a personal question but I'd love to hear your reply... I am of mixed Romani descent, my grandfather married an English woman but their relationship was frowned upon and they ended up moving to Aotearoa (New Zealand), where I was born, and on my father's side I am Italian/English, so I look rather phenotypically white and do not speak Romani, as well as having no connection to my Romani family from Europe. Despite this, it's the part of my family I've always felt most intrigued by and it is the part of my family I have the strongest personal connection to. I grew up semi-nomadic and lived with my grandfather who still to this day lives nomadically in a caravan. I didn't have much to do with my father's family until fairly recently. My question is this: can I still be considered Romani despite these factors? And how can I learn more and get in touch with the culture while being so estranged from it? Thank you
Great job Florian has a Romani person my self I would like to say Romani don’t care to identify with color rather we are white or what ever shade of brown we marry with in are tribe not base on color of skin tone
My question is related to many Romani people being Christian or Muslim. Are there spiritual or folk beliefs specific to Romani culture that get mixed in when Romani people practice those major religions?
Yes 100%, it’s even said that some Roma still practice an underlay of Shaktism with an overlay of Christianity or Islam, for example traditional Roma saints like St. Kali Sara and St. Bibi coming from the Hindu Goddesses Kali and Shashti respectively. Also other folk traditions like witchcraft and traditional folk healers get mixed in occasionally too. Even certain practices like for example the Rudari practice a traditions called Gurban which actually comes from Islam but they are Christians and they practice it in their own Romani way despite being Christians
6:55 What have the Romani preserved of their pre-Abrahamic ethnic pagan faiths? Would Hinduism / Vedicism feel familiar to a Romani? (Sorry for all the questions. I'm very interested.)
Romani people use to practice Shaktism, but now we are mostly Christian and Muslim, certain scholars say that Romans still have a substrate of Shaktism in praying to God through a female counterpart so that part would be familiar, certain religions vocabulary like Devla, Trishul, Rishi/Rashai would be very familiar and certain deities like Kali and Shashti, but besides that it would be rather unfamiliar to Roma.
@@florida.florianwow , i did not know that people outside india use to follow this sect (shaktism) of hinduism , as mostly i saw is vaishnavisam As a person who practise shaktism, this is unfortunate yet good to hear
Hi Florian, in ur first video you said there's many aspects of Hinduism still alive in our culture but that would be a conversation for another video, will you ever still make that video on Hinduism in our culture and history?
So wanted to ask if there are Romani or Travellers who adopted itinerant life on rivers via barges? Like I found them in Fantasy genre (like Orphans of Green Blood in A Song of Ice and Fire and Gyptians in Golden Compass) BUT what strike was curiosity was from Chocolat movie where one group of Roma ply their lifestyle on river barges).
As Florian said, Rromani is an ethnicity, not a nationality, a nationality is a legal affiliation to the country you were born or obtained citizenship. An ethnicity is about cultural or ancestral roots. For example If a Roma Person was born in Serbia , He/she was born there, his/her Nationality is Serbian, because by law they were born and live in the territory of Serbia, they are not Indian, because they were not born in India, and they don't have Indian citizenship. Culturally Roma are not Indian, Rromani culture is pretty unique, of course it can have some similarities with other cultures due to Assimilation, just like in the Rromani language there are many loan words from other languages like for numbers 7(efta) 8(oxto, or ohto you pronounce the H) 9(enya) are borrowed from Greek, in Greek they Sound different, but pretty similar. But in short, Rromani people are not Indians, because by law Roma are the nationality of the country they *were born* or got citizenship. Roma people are not Indians because they don't live in India and don't have citizenship(but some might have) but Roma people have Indian heritage. But someone's Nation origin doesn't automatically make them that Nation, if your ancestry is for example German, but you don't have German citizenship, or generally never been to Germany, if you don't speak the German language, you can't really say you are German, your roots are not equivalents of nationality, especially if you don't have much knowledge of These roots.
Romani people are very diverse and have become connected to various regions we inhabit, we have been separated from India for quite some time now so while Indian citizenship may work for some Roma, I don’t see it as an overall fix
Does the attitude on the G-word vary across cultures and languages? I’m talking about things like the terms gitano/cigano in Iberian languages, and also how in Britain, they are called English Gypsies and from what I have read, it is not seen as offensive or derogatory over there. I wanted to confirm this with an actual Romani person just to be sure :)
Yes it does depend, so Gitano for example doesn’t carry the same connotations that Gypsy does however it still does have some negative connotations attached to it, in the UK it depends, some really don’t like that word and others are ok with it, I would just be careful as sometimes travellers use that word and they aren’t Romani
I have a question about tarot. One very specific Facebook group started spreading the word that tarot reading is a closed Romani practice, but everything I've read about the history of tarot says otherwise. I've also seen some Romani people say that spreading that rumor reinforces the harmful stereotype of the g***y fortune-teller, although others have agreed with the group's assessment. I'm curious what your take on this is: is tarot part of Romani culture and therefore a closed practice?
Thank you for the question! What is the name of the facebook group if I may ask? Social media is full of misinformation and people who pretend to be Romani unfortunately. I actually do have a short about this very topic, here is the link: ua-cam.com/users/shortspAB5tJmNu3k?si=zVjwhQ6EI0-ENeO0
@florida.florian i believe the group got removed by Facebook some time ago, but it was called something to the effect of Sounds Like Your Witchcraft Is Just Appropriation. Thank you for the link, I'll check it out!
Definitely not silly, if we really focus on the words we can understand like 15% but not too much because the grammar and accent is pretty different and even the words with the same origin have each evolved in their own ways
Hello! Im a romanian roma and lately ive been really interested in knowing more about us. Ive been questioning,what are we ethnically? I saw somewhere that gypsies could also be israeli,from the 12 tribes of israel?Or like the majority says,indian?Im confused and i thought maybe you could clear up?I also really love your channel and how you embrace being roma
Hi! I really liked your video, I was wondering what is your opinion on the movie “Time of the Gypsies” by Emil Kusturica? I wonder, if the portrayal of the Roma people there is accurate and also I recall there was a scene that showcased some celebration. From what I have found is called ederlezi(?), is it a holiday You and other Roma people celebrate? I don’t know if You already made a video about it since I haven’t watched all Your videos yet, but im very curious what holidays do Roma people celebrate? Wish You all the best and thank for Your hard work:)
But lacho video Phrala! Yeah. I’m always amazed by people’s questions. Like for one, our race. Although some of us can look “white”, we would never be it. Being roma is basically the exact opposite in Europe. Also, people often mistake skin tone with race. Although it’s part of it, it’s more than that. For example facial features. There are plenty of light skin rom even in Eastern Europe, but facial features give it away. We tend to look south Asian or Iranian etc. or just a good blend of our genes lol. Also, as for me, for the “are we Indian” thing; I agree. No, we aren’t Indian by nationality, but I would say we are South Asian. No we aren’t Indian, nor any nationality in South Asia, but I would consider us a south Asian diasporic group as our language, customs, culture etc all originate from the Indian subcontinent. So in my eyes we are south Asians, but not necessarily Indian. Although I’m personally proud of it and I do sort of claim it in a sense. More so in a “connection” type of way? (If that makes sense)
Just because Roma are bound to have south asian dna does not mean we are South asian, we are Roma. The word is self explanatory, the culture as well. Roma is a mixed race and the truth be told we are more European than south asian, does that mean I should go out and call Roma “European” according to your misleading standards? It’s time people like you start claiming Roma heritage instead of focusing on one part and running with that, to the point people are interested in us and then you say some bull shit like “we are south Asian” which puts us in a box we don’t meet the requirements for, and overlooks our history within the Europeans (something very vital through out history).
Hi Florian. Which dialect is closest to the the main Romani language(if there is one), that has the highest chance to be used as a universal language, that most groups will likely understand? Is that maybe the Kalderash dialect(at least for Vlax Romanis?
Hi Florian, about the Romani language, how it is hard to learn other languages starting from Romani? How hard it was for you to learn english? Or any other language? I image that Romani language doesn't use the roman letters, so, what are its letters?
I have a question- I know the g word is a slur, but what does someone do if it’s someone’s name? Like g* rose Blanchard? Or if they named their pet that? I know that the fact that people use it as a name is problematic but there’s also a lack of awareness and unless they change their name it’s what they’re stuck with.
My question i wanted to ask is what do you think is a good start to end the cycles of poverty and all the problems it causes? ( like crime, child marriages, lack of education)
I have a question and I need a serious answer. Does bigotry still exist in the Romani culture? For example, My great grandma told me to never marry a black woman because we must keep our bloodline pure, but he also told me I could marry an Asian woman, a middle eastern woman, or an European woman. Now, Grandpa died long ago and as I a result, I have stayed away from the people. Has opinions about who we marry changed?
Some say romani is a colorful culture but what im trying to say that im recognised as romani i do not really have romani culture since i do not speak the language for example but i can not be anything else because people perceive me as such its not due to self identification or culture but due to ancestry and physical features that i always experience this i think that is true for many romanis im just as discriminated as everyone and its not true im colorful nomad who rejects statehood actually it would benefit me if i had a state to protect me
i’ve always wondered if you feel a connection to the part of india roma immigrated from. or any indian culture in general? i know there’s certain beliefs and practices that were kept and you can see parallels of in india.
One question I’m highly curious about. How did Romani/Roma culture become acquainted with witchcraft or magic? I suspect a great deal of it was the ignorance of Christian Europe, as was the case with anyone that couldn’t conform to the norms of the church, but I was curious if there was anything from Romani culture that was manipulated and taken out of context or if it was just propaganda. I’m also curious what you make of some UA-cam videos I’ve seen with people claiming to be gypsy (their words) witches. Is it just cultural appropriation if not exploitation? Thank you.
First of all , Rromani people are not witches or Witchers, they never had any actual connection to witchcraft or to spirits. Rromani people are actually afraid on coming to contact to these things, Roma were not using real magic, they were actually pretending, yes it was mostly a scam. Other cultures had connections with entities or deamons, but not Rromani people. It was a way of making money, and I suspect, while in middle ages people could be easily manipulated, they really believed Rromani people had connections to sp1rits. Witchcraft is not part of culture, it was just a convenient occupation, popularly known among Roma people, but Roma are not connected to this .
It's all part of the scapegoating. In those bad old medieval European days simply accusing someone of witchcraft was enough reason to get them un-alived along with their family. Judging from some of the recent comments here I wonder if attitudes have changed much since then.
Not really; some Romani people may but because the Desi identity is a lot more recent for most South Asians and tied to nationality it doesn’t really apply to us, but we are Indic people
Hi Florian! Do you have a patreon? I am interested in your research, production process, and community organizing. I am from an Adivasi tribe in India and I would like to share about my ethnic origin in a similar format. You're the best! I'm also interested in your personal art, music, or dance ~Paul Kiro
@@karen5916 I wasnt commenting if Florian wants to be a leader of the Punjabis, there are less roma people in the world then the Punjabis would exist only in India, so im proud having indian origins and thanks for the answer hey I was just joking but Florian aligned to be a Kalderash thats why!
@@karen5916 well Florian is very similar to Punjabis just like me so why not us taking care of the origins of the humans and the little minority of the KALderash or even the my side the in addition to local kovaci we are talented because we go back there to India, if you watch documantaries about us you will easily hear that xy`s are prefered because we have a bright future especially us the artists!
That's like me saying I'm okay with the n word because I'm not a slave and they are not using it that way. It doesn't matter,it's a slur. Some black people don't say it in general others think it's okay,doesn't change the history
@@florida.florian Oh, well, at least you will get all of the bad notes and steps out of the way in the beginning! :D Keep going, but never lose your love of it! ^_^ I would love to see a clip of you playing when you feel confident enough to share.
On the "why Romani don't have a state" question, it's also helpful to remember that states/nations/countries haven't always existed and that most distinct peoples even today don't have their own political units called states/nations/countries. They're actually not really natural but were imposed during a specific period of time that continues today.
I wish everyone was like us in that regard! Hard borders and state control are good for nobody but the upper crust of any given state.
Almost like survivors bias. Especially when looking at a map of Europe, you miss all of the ethnic groups that easily could have a nation but don't. Like the Sami, Catalans, or Bretons, or Basque for example. Ethnic groups are even more complex than nations, and people (especially Americans, let's be honest) don't have a good understanding of that complexity.
States as we currently understand them are a consequence of the Treaties of Westphalia in 1648, and the signers didn't intend to invent a new kind of country so it didn't spring into existence clearly in that year.
States have existed for about as long as trousers and Quakers. Romani people have existed much longer.
yeah but romani people came from India so it's normal they don't cause they had one back there
@oliverxhmll Indian isn't really an ethnicity, it's a national identity. India was founded in 1948, more or less from the remains of a BRITISH colony. That's why there's no Indian language or Indian customs. There's Hindi and Tamil and Punjabi, as well as Hinduism and Islam and Sikhisim, but because Romani people werent included in that nation building, they dont have a nation.
It's eye-opening to see these common misconceptions about Romani culture addressed so directly. The history of discrimination they’ve faced is often overlooked. More conversations like this are needed!
Hope y’all enjoyed this new video! More videos coming soon, including exciting collaborations and videos in Europe so stay tuned and make sure you keep your notifications on so you never miss a video! Also feel free to ask any more questions you have in the comments or any clarifications on my answers, this comment sections acts as an open forum for me and other Roma to answer your questions!
Great going my brother.Do you have a FB page?
And create a group with emails,telephone contacts, and all other platforms.
Why do Romani call themselves Romani?
@@dkeith-fc8hnI have a full length video on it! Here is the link: m.ua-cam.com/video/so2mJ5QNbTw/v-deo.html
Basically it’s our native name in our language and comes from our ancient caste in India.
@@florida.florian thank for sharing. I'll watch the video later. I've put it already in my library.
@@florida.florian.. That native name is rather mis-pronounced. :/
im from france and the cruelty that your people face is horrific. im glad you all have an ability to keep positive.
Je les soutiens🌟
Love your videos, Florian. So informative, watching them adds to my sense of belonging (UK Sinti here). Keep up the great work!
I'm home for Xmas in Ireland. Having a conversation with a relative and hearing a lot of uninformed and half baked opinions on Irish Travellers and Romani people. I'm sharing this video with them.
Thank you for making these videos! I live in Finland and unfortunately our Romani citizens are quite segregated from the rest of the population due to the hundreds of years of poor treatment they've faced. This segregation means that a lot of people's understanding of Romani culture relies solely on stereotypes and outsider perspectives. I know this is a common story all throughout Europe. I hope your videos reach a lot of people and the perspectives can start to shift.
Thank you very much for your videos!
Living in Italy, i have never heard anyone talking positively about romani people (the only way I've heard of romani people before i had access to the internet was with the italian version of gypsy, which already says a lot) but i hope that with your work and dedication people can change their minds and hopefully stop being racist.
I knew most of the things discussed in the video fron yow videos or other's but it was really interesting and could definitely be a good starting point for a lot of people (I'm sending this to my friends).
I uope you all the good luck!!!
Great video as always. I would like to ask, what are the names of Romani scholars, writers, musicians or organisations that you'd recommend to someone who wants to learn more about your history and culture?
Great Question! I’ll give you three recommendations for each one but there are hundreds of great people for each category so this is just a very quick list:
Scholars:
Magda Matache
Delia Grigore
Ian Hancock
Writers:
Philomena Franz
Ceija Stojka
Papusza
Musicians:
Vera Bila
Cameron de La Isla
Romica Puceanu
Organizations:
Dikh He Na Bister
European Roma Rights Centre
European Roma Institute of Arts and Culture
@@florida.florian thank you! 🧡
i love this question and answer
Excellent! Thank you, as ever, for all the work you do ❤
this was very informative thank you for your hard work!
I didn't even search for your channel, it just popped up on my feed a few days ago, and watching your videos is a great experience already! Romani people are extremely discriminated against in Russia, which is really sad (and as far as I know - in neighboring mostly white countries as well, like Belarus), and I haven't been able to find any good sources on Roma/anything coming from an actually Romani person instead of some white guy. 😭
You're doing great work! Thanks and much love from Russia, and from a mixed nationality/etchnicity (non-Roma) queer dude (me) 💙✊
*edit: typos
thank you for the video Florian. Unsurprisingly my education was shit and i am grateful for your videos. I've learned so much about the Romani people
The "how do Romani people make money" question pretty much answered something my mother asked me recently when we were talking about Romani people. "What Jobs do Romani people do that are still living in a traveling lifestyle?" Because of course, Romani people do any and all Jobs that exist, especially if they dont travel, but we thought that there are a lot of jobs that dont work out very well if you travel. For example a doctor or a teacher at a school.
So I did already know about traditional Romani trades, like the ones you were mentioning in the video, but I imagine that many of these are harder to do for a living in a modern world. So thats why we thought about which kinds of jobs work well with a traveling lifestyle.
Scamming or fortune telling
Oh, quit it.
Thank you for your videos! It’s really great that you share information about your culture and history 👍
Thank you for your advocacy and sharing your culture 💜 One more way to keep it alive
your background setting is really nice! and i liked your critical outlook on ethnostates - they can definitely be dangerous in some aspects, i mean we're seeing a genocide happen right now...
Definitely, looks what the Turks did to the Armenians and Greeks and what they continue to do to the Kurds
Love your content. You fit so much information into videos that aren't that long.
Been a while, glad to have you educating us again
Hi, Florian! Before I started watching your videos, I didn't even know "gypsy" was a slur, and I had no idea there was another word (which is in fact the correct one) to refer to the ethnic group. Thank you so much for the very informative videos! I looked up the etymology for the word "cigano", which is what people are normally called in Brazil, and I had no idea its origin was so awful. I love learning more about your beautiful culture with every upload :)
I have heard that in other languages, specifically iberian ones, their translation of the G-term is not considered offensive by those Roma. the terms “cigan@/gitan@“ are more neutral and for some seen with a sense of pride.
Something that I've always found fascinating is how I basically found out by playing Assassin's Creed Revelations that the term Gypsy came from the misconception at the time that they originated from Egypt. And we learn this because Ezio, the main character interacts and seeks to help the Romani community in Constantinopele/Istanbul. One of the Romani actually explains it to him as she also gives him more context on how they are treated in Constantinopele/Istanbul (in the 16th century). Part of the reason she explains it is also because Ezio is an Italian man.
Florian, I am from the USA and I appreciate that you take the time and effort to educate others about the Romani people. We have been learning a lot from your videos and hope you will continue.😃
Happy to be so early!
super informative, thank you as always florian!
You have such a clear, light way of delivering information, I love your channel! Not to mention your clothes, they're gorgeous 🌟❤
I love your videos! It helps me teach my son about his people and heritage.
Love these videos these are so informative and it has truly opened my eyes and educated me!
You are doing the world a great service by explaining the history of Romani people. Fantastic material and we all should share this, if only to allow folks to see what foolish prejudices we labour under.
Thank you, Florian!
Great video! I have been learning a lot from your channel.
On another note that does not have to do with the video, your skin always looks great! What's your secret, it looks flawless
Thank you! The secret is the software I film on has an automatic feature that corrects skin tone, my skin has been getting better but I definitely still do have some blemishes and acne scars!
Hi! I love learning about other cultures, and I think that your channel is fantastic!👍
That shirt is dope.
Thanks! It’s based on a traditional Romani design and it’s from Loly by Zita Moldovan
@@florida.florian in regards to this topic, can someone of non Romani Culture wear or buy Romani clothing and other items from Romani owned businesses, or is it frowned upon? Rather than buying/wearing "Boho or Boho Chic" items
Hi! I just saw Nosferatu last night and I believe they had a depiction of Romani people in one of the villages! It was a good movie only a little scary❤
No spoilers here, but I just want to describe the scene:
A traveler happens upon a village where he’d like to stay and children swarm him laughing, everyone comes out and start to sing and play instruments, it seems to be an instant party for the traveler, then all of a sudden the mood turns a bit darker but everything is ok. The people at first seem nondescript, perhaps Eastern European but dressed in mostly grays, except I see a woman with coins on her scarf, that could be from anywhere but I hope you get to see the movie!
Thank you for making this video, it was very informative and interesting!
What a great video idea! I learned so much - thanks Florian! 🥰
Another great video, Florian!
I’m loving these videos, our Romanistan lives in our hearts and heads forever❤️ 2:39
Love how u explain the different subcultures u must studied history and sociology to get all the accurate information
Such an informative video. I know that Dom or Domari people are different from Roma but would love a video about them as there isn't that much info on them. A lot of them are ashamed to disclose that they are Dom in the Middle East. Also, sadly their language is going extinct.
I really like this channel. It has helped me get rid of stereotypes I had been taught were true and now I think Romani culture is very interesting and pretty. Thank you :)
Omg I love how you explained this ❤
I would love to hear more about Romani clans, their origins and their traditions, if certain clans were well known for certain jobs. This is history non-Romani people like myself do not hear about. I love your channel for this. You are such a good storyteller and I think it is important to learn about different cultures, particularly those that are often hidden and historically persecuted so that we learn to accept and understand those who are different from ourselves. Thank you.
I love this so much,I want to do research but scared to find something that's misinformation which is a lot and sad. I respect this so much because I wish my own people were able to keep their culture after slavery and colonization but unfortunately not so.
I loved this style of video show much! I would absolutely love a deep dive into modern Romani fashion! It is probably super silly but I only ask because I live in Germany and I see so many Romani women wearing wedge-high healed sandals in all weather and temperatures. I can surmise that it serves a practical function to keep the hems of their skirts dry. Which absolutely makes sense. I also very rarely see girls over the age of 13 wearing pants/jeans and I would just love to know more about the clothing traditions of Roma women and girls. That is only if it is ok to share that information! I don’t want to intrude or stick my node where it doesn’t belong.
Very wonderful and informative. Thank you
thank you for this video it was very informative
Thank you for this educational video. Much love frome india.
Hello, Florian. Thank you for your videos. They are informative, enlightening & entertaining. I am fascinated that there are so many different clans all over the world. I was wondering if, in the future, you plan on doing Q & A type collabs with representatives from different clans to see where the similarities and differences fall with respect to cultural diversity. I know some things will necessarily be different when talking to a Christian versus a Muslim, but apart from the obvious differences, my interest would be in hearing from a reliable source what are the significant traits, beliefs, customs or practices of the defined clan groups? I appreciate everything that you're doing. You and your work matter. Hugs
That’s a great idea, i’ll see if I can arrange something like that sometime
I Love this! ALOT of misinformation still out there. And I follow you under my government name on IG. And we don't agree on some personal convictions, but as fellow Romani, I think you're doing a great job at educating folks on our people.
Keep it up young man.
PS: how does one acquire a similar hoodie/sweater? It's beautiful!
It’s from Loly by Zita Moldovan, she’s sells them on her website
@florida.florian Thank You for the info.
Love you, Florian 💕
I am Indian by country of birth and also by nationality, very much brought up in India (New Delhi, to be precise).
Florian, I dunno how much sense it would make but I really, truly feel nomadic in spirit and a dancing, hopping around girl, ever since I was a kid.
I didn't know why I was so attracted to this dancing, celebrating life on-the-go kinda culture, why I believed in carrying one's culture with oneself wherever one goes and not asserting a need for a specific 'state' or 'territory' to call one's home/homeland.
I have researched a bit about the nomadic tribes in India and I am keen on doing a long term research on their practices/ traditions while attempting to live with each for better appreciation of their culture/way of life.
I am a lawyer by training and while this crazy streak remains ever unsatiated, I ain't giving up, man!
And when I watch your super informed, honest, and highly spirited content on Romani people, I am left smitten by this awe inspiring work of yours.
Please continue to enlighten us more with your honest research on the topic, as this one remains close to my heart. Love ñ light 🩷🤍
Edited:
And after watching your whole video I do appreciate that not all Romani people are nomadic to date and that not all prefer to stay nomadic, the ones that do, I hope they do it by choice and not solely for safe harbours..
As for myself, I guess, this is relatable, staying nomadic to stay safe. This goes way deeper, man! 🤔
Have you seen Peaky Blinders? It’s the only show I’ve ever watched that portrays Romani culture, primarily in the later seasons where they lean more into the magic and superstition part. It would be cool to see someone who’s actually Romani give their thoughts on it.
I think he's addressed this before, but I can't recall which video. I do remember in earlier seasons, they were literally speaking Romanian (which is not the same as Romani). I think it was fixed later on, but brain fog has yeeted the details unfortunately.
Amazing video! I do have a question regarding mythology/folklore if that's okay :D
Now I'm aware that it's a closed practice culture so I won't be digging deeper into the stuff that people rightfully don't want to share but I'm curious if any of the mythological creatures/folk tales or folk heroes have been known enough to be mentioned in other folkores without the people realizing that it originated from the romani?
For example some of the romani words are now used in English so if there's any similar instance when it comes to the folk tales/mythological creatures? Of course there is no need to answer if it's something that should not be told :)
Yeah there’s definitely a lot of examples of that, I would say usually people do realize they are Romani and label them as “Gypsy” so for example in places in South America and the Carribean there are Umbanda and Santeria Practioners and they have Romani spirits and have even borrowed the Romani patron Saint Kali Sara into their culture
@florida.florian Woah that's interesting :O thank you so much for answering!
I kinda want to hear your take on Natalia Vinter/Natalie Winter... aka the very white woman who pretended to be Romani and spoke some dead romani language that was just a mashup of any Romani words she could get her hands on. (Rroja and ribbons on tumblr talked about her, but I'd like to hear your opinion, since it's a wild story)
Yeah unfortunately i’m familiar with the story, personally i’ve never interacted with this individual but their story sounds so similar to the worrying trend of “fauxmanism” in online spaces, this article by Romanichal Activist Julia Lovell perfectly sums up my thoughts: gypsyindustry.wordpress.com/
@@florida.florian It is a very worrying trend. Like how people have pretended to be a Native American (even going to extreme lengths). It's really bizarre. Natalie Winter took it to the worst kind of extreme by trying to influence research/scholarship, which just makes her story stand out to me. Thank you for the reply. I really appreciate your work!
Please do a Nosferatu review, as soon as that Roma scene happened I was like I WANNA KNOW WHAT FLORIAN THINKS. At the end of the day, they seemed to be on the side of good but it definitely seemed to perpetuate stereotypes I wouldn’t have thought Hollywood (especially hipster-directed cinema) would still want to.
I have one on my shorts!
@ omg haha I actually looked but it didn’t pop up on ur homepage!!
Thank you for educating us on your people, I would say the discrimination has happened to you long enough yet it shouldn't have even happened in the first place.
I was wondering if you'd ever cover the Sanka sometime or "People of the mountains". According to my research, they're basically Japanese Romani people. Japanese culture is my special interest and it'd be really cool to see you talk about the Romani people from that country 💗💕
Cool video! When it comes to the bear taming job, was it like trying to domesticate the bear or something similar? If so that sounds quite interesting :D
Yeah so they would tour villages and towns with the bears they tamed for entertainment to earn a living
4:00 What caused the Romani to leave India? They couldn't have been too different from their Bhil, Domari, Gujarati, and Rajasthani kin.
It’s a complicated explanation, I cover it in my first video in detail! Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/wmMuno2LWgU/v-deo.htmlfeature=shared
it was stinky too much to they left
@@LT.KILLIAN-14031Stop being racist.
Naís tuke mro phral. Your videos are always the best.
Devlesa
My teacher once said that Poland was never genetically homogeneous
Speaking of those talks in the late 1800s and early 1900s about forming a Romanistan...
What the heck even is a "King of G*psies", and what criteria were there to even qualify as such?
It’s a self-proclaimed title usually by the head of a Romani community, the big man who gets promoted to that position by the elders of that group and then sometimes they go on to call themselves the “King of the Gypsies.” Many people have claimed that title however, it really hid no weight as usually they only have influence over their own specific communities since Romani people don’t have any sort of unified state and we are very diverse.
Hey florian, this video was great. I absolutely love your longer form videos. You have a very relaxing vibe and it’s also fascinating to learn about the Romani. Knowing about them, I feel more worldly. I actually met a Romani person (in person) for the first time recently - she was very kind and donated to our fundraiser. I know that may sound weird, but i have never seen a Romani person face to face before lol.
Anyways, I have a quick question - what are some traditional Romani dishes? Are there any places you’d recommend that you’ve been to? How could one find a romani restaurant?
Thank you and much love! ❤️
My favorite Romani dishes are Shah hai mas, Sarma, and Gulash but there are so many, unfortunately Romani restaurants are very rare but hopefully soon we will see more pop up!
Omg sarmale 🤤
I’ll have to look into those. Perhaps I can get my hands on a Roma cookbook someday!
Brilliant video Florian found out my roma comes from my mother too thought it was just from my father
In comments sections, European commenters leave some really mask-off r*cist comments about Romani people, worse than what people in the USA can get away with saying about bIack people (yet folks from Europe often collectively think r*cism is "a USA thing"). So I'm wondering: which societies have made the the most progress in treating Romani people as equally valuable?
What a wonderful surprise to drop this Q & A video, Florian! ❤
Thank you for clarifying a lot of concepts & understanding about Romani people. 😊
I can use these answers if any of my students ever have similar questions or doubts. 😊
Your statement "We're are still proud of our Indian roots" won my heart. ❤
Waiting for more Q & A videos! Keep it up! 👍
I am so glad this video was helpful! I am looking forward to making more.
@florida.florian wow , awesome I will be looking forward for more such videos! 👌
great video, very interesting
A bit off the cuff and more of a personal question but I'd love to hear your reply... I am of mixed Romani descent, my grandfather married an English woman but their relationship was frowned upon and they ended up moving to Aotearoa (New Zealand), where I was born, and on my father's side I am Italian/English, so I look rather phenotypically white and do not speak Romani, as well as having no connection to my Romani family from Europe. Despite this, it's the part of my family I've always felt most intrigued by and it is the part of my family I have the strongest personal connection to. I grew up semi-nomadic and lived with my grandfather who still to this day lives nomadically in a caravan. I didn't have much to do with my father's family until fairly recently. My question is this: can I still be considered Romani despite these factors? And how can I learn more and get in touch with the culture while being so estranged from it? Thank you
Great job Florian has a Romani person my self I would like to say Romani don’t care to identify with color rather we are white or what ever shade of brown we marry with in are tribe not base on color of skin tone
I Would love to learn about Romain Holidays, and How Romai Celebrate and Experience Christianity celebration
My question is related to many Romani people being Christian or Muslim. Are there spiritual or folk beliefs specific to Romani culture that get mixed in when Romani people practice those major religions?
Yes 100%, it’s even said that some Roma still practice an underlay of Shaktism with an overlay of Christianity or Islam, for example traditional Roma saints like St. Kali Sara and St. Bibi coming from the Hindu Goddesses Kali and Shashti respectively. Also other folk traditions like witchcraft and traditional folk healers get mixed in occasionally too. Even certain practices like for example the Rudari practice a traditions called Gurban which actually comes from Islam but they are Christians and they practice it in their own Romani way despite being Christians
@florida.florian That's super interesting! Thank you for sharing this and educating people with your videos :)
6:55 What have the Romani preserved of their pre-Abrahamic ethnic pagan faiths? Would Hinduism / Vedicism feel familiar to a Romani? (Sorry for all the questions. I'm very interested.)
Romani people use to practice Shaktism, but now we are mostly Christian and Muslim, certain scholars say that Romans still have a substrate of Shaktism in praying to God through a female counterpart so that part would be familiar, certain religions vocabulary like Devla, Trishul, Rishi/Rashai would be very familiar and certain deities like Kali and Shashti, but besides that it would be rather unfamiliar to Roma.
@@florida.florianwow , i did not know that people outside india use to follow this sect (shaktism) of hinduism , as mostly i saw is vaishnavisam
As a person who practise shaktism, this is unfortunate yet good to hear
Never heard or seen this flag until now,the more I know😅
Hi Florian, in ur first video you said there's many aspects of Hinduism still alive in our culture but that would be a conversation for another video, will you ever still make that video on Hinduism in our culture and history?
So wanted to ask if there are Romani or Travellers who adopted itinerant life on rivers via barges?
Like I found them in Fantasy genre (like Orphans of Green Blood in A Song of Ice and Fire and Gyptians in Golden Compass) BUT what strike was curiosity was from Chocolat movie where one group of Roma ply their lifestyle on river barges).
Yes some Roma did historically take on those itinerant life on rivers, I think the Lallere if i’m not mistaken was on of those groups
@@florida.florianUncle Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones is a boat born Rrom
All Romani are Indian but not all Indians are Romani
Of Indian origin but not Indians, Indian is a nationality
As Florian said, Rromani is an ethnicity, not a nationality, a nationality is a legal affiliation to the country you were born or obtained citizenship. An ethnicity is about cultural or ancestral roots. For example If a Roma Person was born in Serbia , He/she was born there, his/her Nationality is Serbian, because by law they were born and live in the territory of Serbia, they are not Indian, because they were not born in India, and they don't have Indian citizenship. Culturally Roma are not Indian, Rromani culture is pretty unique, of course it can have some similarities with other cultures due to Assimilation, just like in the Rromani language there are many loan words from other languages like for numbers 7(efta) 8(oxto, or ohto you pronounce the H) 9(enya) are borrowed from Greek, in Greek they Sound different, but pretty similar. But in short, Rromani people are not Indians, because by law Roma are the nationality of the country they *were born* or got citizenship.
Roma people are not Indians because they don't live in India and don't have citizenship(but some might have) but Roma people have Indian heritage. But someone's Nation origin doesn't automatically make them that Nation, if your ancestry is for example German, but you don't have German citizenship, or generally never been to Germany, if you don't speak the German language, you can't really say you are German, your roots are not equivalents of nationality, especially if you don't have much knowledge of These roots.
2:20 If there were a political will to have a Romani state I imagine asking India to offer citizenship to the Romani would be the easiest solution.
Romani people are very diverse and have become connected to various regions we inhabit, we have been separated from India for quite some time now so while Indian citizenship may work for some Roma, I don’t see it as an overall fix
It's hard to pay attention to the video when there is this vibrant hoodie 😅
Does the attitude on the G-word vary across cultures and languages? I’m talking about things like the terms gitano/cigano in Iberian languages, and also how in Britain, they are called English Gypsies and from what I have read, it is not seen as offensive or derogatory over there. I wanted to confirm this with an actual Romani person just to be sure :)
Yes it does depend, so Gitano for example doesn’t carry the same connotations that Gypsy does however it still does have some negative connotations attached to it, in the UK it depends, some really don’t like that word and others are ok with it, I would just be careful as sometimes travellers use that word and they aren’t Romani
Thank you florian, that is very helpful.🩷
I have a question about tarot. One very specific Facebook group started spreading the word that tarot reading is a closed Romani practice, but everything I've read about the history of tarot says otherwise. I've also seen some Romani people say that spreading that rumor reinforces the harmful stereotype of the g***y fortune-teller, although others have agreed with the group's assessment. I'm curious what your take on this is: is tarot part of Romani culture and therefore a closed practice?
Thank you for the question! What is the name of the facebook group if I may ask? Social media is full of misinformation and people who pretend to be Romani unfortunately. I actually do have a short about this very topic, here is the link: ua-cam.com/users/shortspAB5tJmNu3k?si=zVjwhQ6EI0-ENeO0
@florida.florian i believe the group got removed by Facebook some time ago, but it was called something to the effect of Sounds Like Your Witchcraft Is Just Appropriation. Thank you for the link, I'll check it out!
yea we fr look diverse af, my mum has very strong romani features meanwhile everyone mistakes me for algerian
Silly question, I know, but if a Romani speaker watches an Indian film, do they understand the language? (I know India has more than one)
Definitely not silly, if we really focus on the words we can understand like 15% but not too much because the grammar and accent is pretty different and even the words with the same origin have each evolved in their own ways
@@florida.florian Thank you so much for your answer. 💖
Do you want to represent yourselves in EXPO?
Hello! Im a romanian roma and lately ive been really interested in knowing more about us. Ive been questioning,what are we ethnically? I saw somewhere that gypsies could also be israeli,from the 12 tribes of israel?Or like the majority says,indian?Im confused and i thought maybe you could clear up?I also really love your channel and how you embrace being roma
Hi! I really liked your video, I was wondering what is your opinion on the movie “Time of the Gypsies” by Emil Kusturica? I wonder, if the portrayal of the Roma people there is accurate and also I recall there was a scene that showcased some celebration. From what I have found is called ederlezi(?), is it a holiday You and other Roma people celebrate? I don’t know if You already made a video about it since I haven’t watched all Your videos yet, but im very curious what holidays do Roma people celebrate? Wish You all the best and thank for Your hard work:)
But lacho video Phrala!
Yeah. I’m always amazed by people’s questions. Like for one, our race.
Although some of us can look “white”, we would never be it. Being roma is basically the exact opposite in Europe.
Also, people often mistake skin tone with race. Although it’s part of it, it’s more than that.
For example facial features.
There are plenty of light skin rom even in Eastern Europe, but facial features give it away. We tend to look south Asian or Iranian etc. or just a good blend of our genes lol.
Also, as for me, for the “are we Indian” thing; I agree. No, we aren’t Indian by nationality, but I would say we are South Asian.
No we aren’t Indian, nor any nationality in South Asia, but I would consider us a south Asian diasporic group as our language, customs, culture etc all originate from the Indian subcontinent.
So in my eyes we are south Asians, but not necessarily Indian. Although I’m personally proud of it and I do sort of claim it in a sense. More so in a “connection” type of way? (If that makes sense)
Just because Roma are bound to have south asian dna does not mean we are South asian, we are Roma. The word is self explanatory, the culture as well. Roma is a mixed race and the truth be told we are more European than south asian, does that mean I should go out and call Roma “European” according to your misleading standards? It’s time people like you start claiming Roma heritage instead of focusing on one part and running with that, to the point people are interested in us and then you say some bull shit like “we are south Asian” which puts us in a box we don’t meet the requirements for, and overlooks our history within the Europeans (something very vital through out history).
Iraqi belly dance is mixed with the romani dance 🕺
Hi Florian. Which dialect is closest to the the main Romani language(if there is one), that has the highest chance to be used as a universal language, that most groups will likely understand? Is that maybe the Kalderash dialect(at least for Vlax Romanis?
Hi Florian, about the Romani language, how it is hard to learn other languages starting from Romani? How hard it was for you to learn english? Or any other language? I image that Romani language doesn't use the roman letters, so, what are its letters?
I have a question- I know the g word is a slur, but what does someone do if it’s someone’s name? Like g* rose Blanchard? Or if they named their pet that? I know that the fact that people use it as a name is problematic but there’s also a lack of awareness and unless they change their name it’s what they’re stuck with.
My question i wanted to ask is what do you think is a good start to end the cycles of poverty and all the problems it causes? ( like crime, child marriages, lack of education)
I have a question and I need a serious answer. Does bigotry still exist in the Romani culture? For example, My great grandma told me to never marry a black woman because we must keep our bloodline pure, but he also told me I could marry an Asian woman, a middle eastern woman, or an European woman. Now, Grandpa died long ago and as I a result, I have stayed away from the people. Has opinions about who we marry changed?
❤
Some of my children have there white Irish Travellers looks ( fair skin)
and some of my children have there dark skinned Tinker look 🕊🤍🙏🏻
Yay!
Some say romani is a colorful culture but what im trying to say that im recognised as romani i do not really have romani culture since i do not speak the language for example but i can not be anything else because people perceive me as such its not due to self identification or culture but due to ancestry and physical features that i always experience this i think that is true for many romanis im just as discriminated as everyone and its not true im colorful nomad who rejects statehood actually it would benefit me if i had a state to protect me
i’ve always wondered if you feel a connection to the part of india roma immigrated from. or any indian culture in general? i know there’s certain beliefs and practices that were kept and you can see parallels of in india.
One question I’m highly curious about. How did Romani/Roma culture become acquainted with witchcraft or magic? I suspect a great deal of it was the ignorance of Christian Europe, as was the case with anyone that couldn’t conform to the norms of the church, but I was curious if there was anything from Romani culture that was manipulated and taken out of context or if it was just propaganda. I’m also curious what you make of some UA-cam videos I’ve seen with people claiming to be gypsy (their words) witches. Is it just cultural appropriation if not exploitation? Thank you.
First of all , Rromani people are not witches or Witchers, they never had any actual connection to witchcraft or to spirits. Rromani people are actually afraid on coming to contact to these things, Roma were not using real magic, they were actually pretending, yes it was mostly a scam. Other cultures had connections with entities or deamons, but not Rromani people. It was a way of making money, and I suspect, while in middle ages people could be easily manipulated, they really believed Rromani people had connections to sp1rits. Witchcraft is not part of culture, it was just a convenient occupation, popularly known among Roma people, but Roma are not connected to this .
It's all part of the scapegoating. In those bad old medieval European days simply accusing someone of witchcraft was enough reason to get them un-alived along with their family. Judging from some of the recent comments here I wonder if attitudes have changed much since then.
Do Romani people consider themselves Desi people?
Not really; some Romani people may but because the Desi identity is a lot more recent for most South Asians and tied to nationality it doesn’t really apply to us, but we are Indic people
Hi Florian! Do you have a patreon? I am interested in your research, production process, and community organizing. I am from an Adivasi tribe in India and I would like to share about my ethnic origin in a similar format. You're the best! I'm also interested in your personal art, music, or dance ~Paul Kiro
Would you be the leader of the kalderash?
Not roma but i don’t think so. K is one of the biggest romani subgroups, so that’s like millions of people lol
@@karen5916 I wasnt commenting if Florian wants to be a leader of the Punjabis, there are less roma people in the world then the Punjabis would exist only in India, so im proud having indian origins and thanks for the answer hey I was just joking but Florian aligned to be a Kalderash thats why!
@@karen5916 well Florian is very similar to Punjabis just like me so why not us taking care of the origins of the humans and the little minority of the KALderash or even the my side the in addition to local kovaci we are talented because we go back there to India, if you watch documantaries about us you will easily hear that xy`s are prefered because we have a bright future especially us the artists!
I am Gypsy & to me it is not a slur! It's a proud heritage to me!
It is a slur, you are entitled to feel however you want about it, however the word is an exonym and created as a sIur.
That's like me saying I'm okay with the n word because I'm not a slave and they are not using it that way. It doesn't matter,it's a slur. Some black people don't say it in general others think it's okay,doesn't change the history
Can I adopt romani culture and be so romani my last name is campa
Am Spanish is this a romani name
Campa isn’t a Romani name, I would refer to the part of the video on if someone can become Romani, usually we consider our culture a closed practice
Do you play musical instruments or dance? :)
Trying to learn guitar, dance for fun but not too good lol
@@florida.florian Oh, well, at least you will get all of the bad notes and steps out of the way in the beginning! :D
Keep going, but never lose your love of it! ^_^ I would love to see a clip of you playing when you feel confident enough to share.