There is still a lot of discrimination against Roma people

In Europe and around the world. Americans as a whole don’t know much about Roma. Gypsies are often portrayed as thieves, cheats and swindlers. Children kidnappers, promiscuous, prostitutes and human traffickers. Perceived as lazy no good leeches off the welfare system without any physical or mental disabilities. People think of fortune tellers. I mean I will not say all Roma are innocent because that’s not true. Some common issues in unintegrated Roma communities include child marriage, poverty, lack of access to education and employment, lack of healthcare and Roma communities tend to be very patriarchal, sexist, and anti lgbtqia. There are a lot of issues. Some government initiatives and non profits have tried to help in recent times. But there is a long history of discrimination, prejudice, and even genocide ( the holocaust). In the past countries tried to forcibly settle nomadic Roma and general intolerance. Also some Roma do very anti social behaviors which causes even more hatred on the part of outsiders. It’s a vicious cycle. Yet people love our music, dances, and hippies have taken some inspiration from traditional Roma dress fashion. Americans think ooh a Gypsy is seductive and exotic.

My Roma side of my family intermarried with white Europeans and other ethnic minorities. So we are a bit of an exception. Both of my parents are university educated and have full time careers. We live in a normal house and have normal lives. We are not stereotypes. We are individual people.