Census I don't belong.

[Devlesko]

I'm equally sadened and angered.
Every other ethnicity covered as far as I know, all other travelling groups rightly so. Roma who are here from Eastern Europe.

We have been told by campaigners to stand up and be counted so that we can access healthcare and schools.
Now we are white other, not a mention.

It's not just semantics we are all different ethnicities with separate cultures, the only similarity is we travel, or try to. Our DNA is distinctive to our ethnicity Irish and Romany are completely different.

What is a gypsy? What ethnicity? It doesn't exist. But more recently those who are interested and thank you, know that Romany originate from India, around 1,500 years ago and have been in the UK for 500 years.
During which time we have been enslaved, tortured, murdered, transported, hated by society and persecuted by Kings and Governments.

I'm sick of the back door laws to erode if not annilate our culture. It just isn't fair. Society tars us all with the same brush, but you can ask any health visitor who has ever visited how family orientated we are and spotlessley clean.

Gypsy is a slur for American Romany and Europeans. But it's that bad in the UK where we face racism daily that it's hardly worth fighting the use of the word "gypsy"

I'm writing this because I know whilst theres a few on here with Romany links, Mumsnet is a new audience and apart from me very few would venture. That is nothing personal, just a different culture.

So when you see us being refused service in a pub, restaurant, wedding reception venue, don't spit at us, laugh, call us names, we are human.

I'm confused. As a few posters have already asked. What is the difference between Roma and Romany? I've tried Google and both are used interchangeably. Yes, I'm clearly ignorant but I'm asking to be educated.

Exactly and then separate Romany from Irish traveller and Romany. I'm also not sure what you mean by this sentence?

@Gwenhwyfar Sorry, yes. I thought ‘Romany’ were Irish travellers.

Looking at definition on Wiki

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_group

So....where is North Londoner? Not joking.

[quote Jumpers268]@babbaloushka I did chuckle at a right to bear arms. I was like what is happening that I've missed .[/quote]
It's been a long, long day.

@AnaisNun
That's horrific it almost sounds like they are trying to usher in the sort of forced conformity that the Australian government did with the aboriginals (sp) through the bank door

So I’ve just looked it up on Wikipedia. Irish Romany are called ‘Romany Gypsies’. But I thought the term ‘gypsy’ was considered offensive?

I have been checking the GRT websites for information about differences between Roma and Romany and they all say that they are used interchangeably. I really don't like when I can't find the information that my brain needs! Sorry I didn't mean to derail the thread but this really should be corrected. It must be rubbish not seeing any aspect of your ethnicity represented.

As a black person, I was surprised yet happy to see that there was a sub category to tick my actual ethnicity and not just be lumped into Black or African. We also have different cultures and aren't all the same. Usually, I would tick Other and write my actual ethnicity if I wanted to be pedantic.

Is this something available to you, OP? Or perhaps click Other, then write Roma in the box?

All I know of Roma is that Hitler had it in for Roma as well as disabled and gay people and of course Jews.
My son in Eastern Europe bought a colourful horses bridle from Roma people.. they were riding their horses up and down- the sort of bridle that would make Pony Club bleach as decorated with red and blue.
No common language but nods and written numbers.
💕

Blench not bleach

Same for North African

I have to jump in about that 2k before it causes all kinds of misunderstanding.

Not everyone gets 2k, not everyone is eligible at all. It was a help to return to countries of origin.
It is NOT as easy as to just come 2k and fuck off. It was already discussed when it came out that this help to leave now applies to Europeans and it was widely misunderstood and caused quite a lots of hate so just want to make sure, no one catches on it
www.gov.uk/return-home-voluntarily

Black African is a massively broad term as well, with hundreds of smaller groups from different regions and would consider themselves separate from each other).

Indeed, they do.

No Irish travellers are not Romany! They are Irish Travellers!
I get you OP. British Romanies are not the same as Roma. They are a different group entirely.

The list of all individual ethnicity's MASSIVE many are missed off the list just put as other .

How would having another category box for you to tick change your life? How would it help plan services which is supposedly the point of the census? Is it even possible to list every different ethnicity on this form?
I think you need to stop focusing on the census.

I had to use Other to express my ethnicity. But I understand what you are saying, it shows a lack of cultural understanding.

I’m so confused because everything on the internet says Roma and Romany are the same thing. What is the difference? Do most Roma/Romany people see them as different? One website does say that Romany when used with a y can refer specifically to Romanichals, is this the differentiation? So you’re not Romanichal but you are Roma, and Romany can be taken to be inclusive or exclusive of the other sub groups?

Not sure op. My father arrived in the UK in 1939 on Kinder transport. His mother was Sephardic Jewess from Oporto with Spanish, Portuguese and probably Middle Eastern descent; his father was Ashkenazi of Russian/Polish/German descent. Papa regarded himself as German.

My mother is half Russian, quarter English, Quarter Irish.

DH is wholly English on his paternal side with probably a smidge of Viking. On the maternal side he is English, Welsh and French.

For all of us I ticked the White British box. It did.

I’d be more concerned about the government trying to identify minority groups which they are hostile towards.

I assumed it’s those who make up a greater population percentage that get tick boxes rather than who the government gives greater recognition to.

Would you mind sharing a link with some information about the Roma, Romani and Romany distinction because I’ve not come across it aside from being the singular, plural and adjective of the same ethnic group and I’m happy to learn otherwise.

The whole categorising of ethnicity is problematic - most people are a mixture of different backgrounds!
There also wasn’t an option for British Jew - maybe due the fact there is often a misunderstanding of people believing Judaism is just a religion and not an ethnic group.
As pp stated people who identify as Black Caribbean are generally descendants of Africa - which some could argue, makes those categories a bit redundant?
There was an option to comment at end of census - did you express your concern there?

It’s all well and good saying “my ethnicity on there either” but you surely have understand the unique situation and needs of travelling communities. I am part Bosnian and just put White-British because I am half British and having Bosnian heritage doesn’t affect my life in the slightest. It’s different for travelling communities (and I absolutely don’t mean that in a derogatory way OP, just stating that your ethnicity and way of life are directly linked) and therefore needs to be logged

@Moelwynbach so glad I'm not alone. My brain needs it to. If you find the answer, let me know!

There’s a whole other group that haven’t been included. The Showmen of Great Britain. They are families who travel with funfairs, they are not Romany, gypsy, Irish travellers.. they have a governing body called the Showman’s Guild, but no box on the census.

Not quite the point of the thread but I was always taught that gypsies originated from Egypt and the name gypsy came from Egyptian and that was why they were called gypsies