RE: [xmca] Chigano, Gypsy, Roma in an international context

["Anna Chronaki" <chronaki@uth.gr>]

Many thanks for your replies!..

Based on what said here (so far) and some preliminary search, I have come to the following conclusionary points:

·         Tsigani (τσιγγάνοι) is the name most commonly used in Greece and in continental Europe (e.g. Cigány in Hungary, Cigano in Portuguese, or Zingari in Italian) for Romani people, also known as Roma, Gypsies or Travellers (see Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_the_Romani_people). 

·         Today the term Romani or Roma is formally used in most organizations including the United Nations and the Council of Europe. 

·         The term Tsigano is mostly used, interchangeably with Gypsy and Roma, so that to reflect how people in the community still refer to themselves. 

·         However, the term Gypsy (Γύφτος) –although avoided as having a derogatory sense in Greek, but also elsewhere- has not disappeared and the emerging term Roma is used hesitantly due to its emphasis on creating a common identity amongst diverse communities in Europe. 

·         A related term is Chicano or Xicano. It is used in American English language and context, and although seems related, it refers to American born people of Mexican decent and is associated with the Chicano movement strivings in the late 60s for social, economic and political equality (see Armando Navarro, 1974, The Evolution of Chicano Politics in Aztlan: Chicano Journal of Social Sciences and the Arts. Vol. 5, 72).

 

From: José Luis Lalueza [mailto:joseluis.lalueza@uab.cat] 
Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2010 8:08 PM
To: lchcmike@gmail.com; chronaki@uth.gr; ulvi.icil@gmail.com; xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
Subject: RE: [xmca] Chigano, Gypsy, Roma in an international context

 

Anna.

In Spain the term “Gitano” (Gypsy)  it’s accepted and chosen by all members of Spanish Roma community to referred to himself. They consider that if we need to avoid to use the word “gitano” or “gypsy”, it means to accept that there are some negative connotations in “to be gypsy”. It’s a common sentence “orgulloso de ser gitano” (pride to be Gypsy).

 

 

José Luis Lalueza

DEHISI Grup de Recerca en Desenvolupament Humà, Intervenció Social i Interculturalitat

Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Evolutiva i de l'Educació

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

www.dehisi.org <http://www.dehisi.org/>    www.5dbarcelona.org <http://www.5dbarcelona.org/>   www.psyed.edu.es <http://www.psyed.edu.es/>  

 

  _____  

De: mike cole [mailto:lchcmike@gmail.com] 
Enviado el: sábado, 10 de abril de 2010 18:28
Para: José Luis Lalueza
Asunto: Fwd: [xmca] Chigano, Gypsy, Roma in an international context

 

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ulvi icil <ulvi.icil@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Apr 10, 2010 at 5:42 AM
Subject: Re: [xmca] Chigano, Gypsy, Roma in an international context
To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>


Hi Anna,

I visited once Volos. It is really a very nice city to live in.
Cheers,
Ulvi Icil
Istanbul, Turkey


2010/4/10, Anna Chronaki <chronaki@uth.gr>:

>
> Dear all,
> The last few years part of my research involves studying mathematical
> 'development' with Gypsy children and I have published some of my work
> mainly in European journals or books edited by European editors.
> As I try to move on to a more 'international' context I realize that the
> use
> of words such as Chicano, Gypsy or Roma take very different meanings to the
> ones I would use at either a local (Greek-Gypsy community) or a European
> context. For example in Greece the word 'Gypsy' could, at times and for
> some, be insulting and people would rather the word Chicano as a
> self-description of who they are. Recent European policies enforce using
> Roma as a 'community' term signifying who these people are, and 'inventing'
> even a flag (!..) for promoting greater uniformity and group-identity.
> I am wondering what is the case in the US. So far, I realize that in the
> Americas (North and South) the word chicano refers to Latino people - which
> in fact is a different community, or isn't it?
> I would appreciate any ideas, clarifications, references concerning the
> above use of terms.
> Many thanks,
> Anna Chronaki
>
> Associate Professor
> University of Thessaly
> Volos, Greece.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> xmca mailing list
> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>
_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca

 

_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca