Gypsy journey - the nomadic experience
They have many names and many groups. They have many dialects, beliefs and a distinct way of life. The specialists always argue about their number, the sociologists always disagree about their treatment, but they are all Gypsies or Roma, as they like to call themselves.
The Gypsies live in more than twenty countries, and in Romania they represent the second largest ethnic minority (4.3 percent of the total population) after the Hungarians (7.1 percent of the total population).
Because of their large numbers, their extreme poverty and severe marginalization, the Roma are nowadays one of the most serious social problems in Romania. Violent incidents against Roma took place in Romania after the revolution of 1989. There was a sharp escalation of hatred and violence towards Gypsies. In some of their settlements the houses were set on fire, and Roma were injured or even killed. All this makes you wonder what makes them so wildly unpopular, why they are usually regarded as thieves and cheats?
There is a beautiful legend about Gypsies which varies from one group to another. Some of the old gypsies will be always very proud to tell it:
