I'm just an average gypsy AMA

[GypsyAMA]

I've noticed a lot of hatred towards gypsies on here so I thought I'd answer any questions anyone may have that could help you to understand my culture more. You might still disagree with many aspects, but at least you'll be coming from facts and not stereotypes.

Doesn’t just sound dreadful, it is dreadful.

In case this helps, here is some official data.

https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/summaries/gypsy-roma-irish-traveller/

Gypsies have vastly reduced life expectancy, three times as much bad health as the general population, are three times more likely to be in single parent households, vastly more likely to be economically inactive, and not to own their house.

The economic gender gap is twice as large as the overall population.

They are three times as likely to be in social housing.

If you look at the types of jobs, you can see that of those who work, they tend to be in lower/menial/routine jobs (as opposed to professional/management).

They also have by far the worst educational outcomes and the highest rate of school suspensions/exclusions of all ethnic groups (including travellers).

Personally I think the lack of education is probably a critical factor in everything else.

no Question really but just wanted to say that many of the values and the way you protect your children are completely understandable to me.

my children are all in school but if there is a time when influences at school start to take them off the moral path we are teaching them I will pull them out and homeschool - I know many homeschoolers actually who have done the same for these reasons. They just aren’t gypsies so don’t get grouped up and judged for it.

I’d like to know more about Roma weddings. You said most Roma are catholic, do you have full church weddings?

I’ve seen the Big Fat Gypsy weddings on TV and they’re shocking - miserable looking very young girls wearing ott dresses twice their weight. I think they’re Irish travellers?

So what does a typical wedding look like for you?

. I have friend who is from the Irish travellers community. Her children went to school and her daughter is flying,she took the 11+ and got into grammar school,she was exceptionally bright,was accepted amongst her school friends and got a 1st at Nottingham! She is now an educational psychologist..earning good money …why would anyone stop their kids from achieving?

I’m only speculating, but could some of the reported numbers of single mothers be due to women claiming to be single parents to get benefits?

I agree with you . There are some horrible posts on here and I'm surprised they haven't been removed.

"Take them off the moral path"? What like teaching them itsomay to be gay and that woman don't have to stay at home?

I have a lot of interactions with gypsies and travellers through work. It’s a very interesting community in terms of the dynamics and relationships between eachother and how they interact with outsiders.

What is very clear is how the young generation (16 and below) are all using iPads, Tablets and phones now. They may not be going to school but they’re being educated through the content they’re viewing so their knowledge of the world around them will not be as insular as their parents.

Hmnnn.Probably not the best way to bring up and support a child these days !

Thank you so much for this opportunity to learn more about your culture. Given that children are removed from school to ensure they aren’t exposed to sex education etc - how do you go about teaching them about this topic. I understand there are very strict rules on intimacy before marriage but wouldn’t some information be needed prior to marriage?

Well done OP for managing to keep up with this thread!

I do have another question though, which is sort of related to being able to tell someone is a gypsy in public - I usually can mainly because, like you say, they're always presented as though they're going to a party. I saw a couple of girls at Alton towers recently both wearing 6 inch heels - I thought good on you for managing the walking in those

Another thing I have noticed is that women and girls typically have very very long hair - I wonder if this is a cultural thing, sort of how Muslim men are encouraged to have a beard.. Or is it just the preferred style?

I don't find this all that strange either. Possibly because my kids were home educated for a long time.

I also lived for years next to a Mennonite community. They had their own school which went up to about age 14. After that, kids studied at home, often learning a trade, but some carried on academically in various ways. One girl I knew studied at home to go to university to become a nurse.

Even the kids who went into trade though were typically very solidly educated in math, literacy, and history by 14 - more so than many kids from "regular" families.

They did not really want their kids in state school because they felt that the values it taught conflicted with the ir own. It wasn't just sex ed type things, it was a little harder to put your finger on than that.

(Also- I know plenty of families that don't really value education a lot. They expect kids to graduate but aren't very interested in academic achievement. )

Hi OP, cool thread!

i have a question, my friend is Slovakian and speaks the Roma language (does a lot of interpreting work) where we live, there’s a large Muslim population, and a lot of Roma there pretend to be Muslim and beg in the Muslim areas (I know there are Roma because my friend speaks the language and can understand them when they talk amongst each other). There was a similar thing in Paris. There was also a bit of an epidemic of them pretending to be raising funds for certain children with cancer. The local mosques had to put a message out about it.

whilst in no way do I think all Roma do these sorts of things and there are scammers in all sorts of walks of life, have you encountered anything like this before, is this a thing amongst certain pockets? pretending to be Muslim to beg? Or creating fake causes to get money?

im not part of your community OP, but know lots of gypsies who identify as showmen. Just wanted to chime in to say that it’s a privilege. The kindest, most decent people I know by a country mile.

I've found this thread very fascinating! I know so incredibly little about gypsies and your way of life.

How many generations has your family been in the UK? Is this it now, is this where you expect your family to stay or would they be freely allowed to move abroad? And is there such a thing as a settled gypsy family starting to travel again?

On a much more depressing note - was your family personally affected by the Holocaust? Is it as big a part of your history as it is for Jews? I'm Jewish myself and the generational trauma of it all is definitely a real thing.

Thank you for taking your time to educate those of us with so little knowledge in this area!

Oh, and random question but do you vote??

Not that woman don’t have to stay at home but that staying at home is a choice and actually for family life can be a great choice if affordable.
sex ed - I pull my children out of this too as I want to teach it to them myself with context to our beliefs

Really interesting thread . I’m glad you’re going to look into the measles vaccination for your DC.

i was born before there was a vaccine. I got measles at 9 and honestly thought I was going to die I felt so ill. I was hallucinating, my eyes and head hurt so badly I had to have the curtains closed and lights off for 2 weeks and I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow I was in such pain. It has left me deaf and with mild brain damage. I wouldn't wish the hell of this infection on anyone. Looking back I think I possibly had meningitis from it, which would explain the head and eye pain and cognitive problems .

I’m currently on page 8 and I agree! There have been some excellent, excellent questions asked here especially in regards to education and raising children. I have so many questions off the back of other people’s questions but it’s disappointing to see OP respond with one or two sentences. I thought this was going to be an eye opening thread!

It does help, thank you.

Probably the most informative post on the thread.

Please may I ask what advice you would give to non-Gypsy education professionals who have a legal duty to ensure all children remain in education until the end of Y11 and in education or training until age 18, and who want to show respect to your culture and traditions while needing to ensure all parties comply with the law? Are there any forms of education you would find acceptable e.g. home tutoring, elective home education, online learning?

Yes agree. The OP has just ignored any proper questions. Am still non the wiser TBH . OP is obviously articulate and well educated so it is strange that she has avoided the more direct questions 🤦‍♀️

I have never heard the education thing and I don’t quite get it.

So girls will be taken out of school once they finish primary school? Parents say this is so home school them but they don’t actually get home schooled? They stay at home to clean the house etc? What’s the issue with secondary school? I don’t get it

OP This thread is long, forgive me for not reading past the first and last page. When you say "gypsy" how do you define this? Are you Romany? Irish traveller, English traveller?