There is a reason why gypsies are hated and the reason is their specific cultural heritage and the recent history of Bulgaria. During the communist regime, which lasted for about 45 years and ended in 1989, the gypsy community was strongly oppressed by the Todor Jivkov government.
Now, I would like to challenge especially the notion shared by the diarist and some commenters that petty crime is 'an easy life'. If it is so easy, why don't we all engage in it? guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
There is "a Gypsy problem" but it's not Gypsies that are the problem. guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
Are most Europeans racists only when it comes to gypsies? Be careful! Is it classified?
It was the very insidious racism against Gypsies that made me not be surprised at all when recism against Eastern Europeans, Latin Americans, north Africans, black Africans and East Asians became more visible in Spain.
Look I am not a gypsy and I don't know any personally, but I can tell you that for the longest time the official position towards gypsies was that gypsies were not a separate ethnic group, but just Spaniards who had chosen to dress differently, speak differently, and have a different lifestyle. This is actually wrong: gypsies are a distinct people with a distinct language, culture and a nomadic lifestyle.
When a sedentary community's reaction to nomads is to enact vagrancy laws, you have a problem. You also have a problem when society's idea of accomodating nomads is to offer them a house and a plot of land. On the other hand, a lot of Spanish gypsies are settled and have been for a long time, especially in the South, but segregation is quite real, and tensions between gypsy and non-gypsy neighbourhoods do occasionally flare up.
And to pretend there is no "problem with black people anymore" is an exaggeration, quite apart of the fact that the "problem with black people" was entirely about white people. guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
And to pretend there is no "problem with black people anymore" is an exaggeration, quite apart of the fact that the "problem with black people" was entirely about white people.
On your second point - you consider petty thefts to be harder than working all day? Be careful! Is it classified?
Oh, btw, Bulgarian gypsies are not exactly nomads, in the sense that they don't move around the country - they prefer to stay in their ghettos. Be careful! Is it classified?
I mean, why are they in the ghetto in the first place? guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
