Roma Urged To Declare Ethnicity In Romanian Census
October 28, 2011
By Paul Ciocoiu
A nationwide campaign is under way in Romania to encourage Roma
people to declare their ethnicity in the 2011 census, which ends on
Monday (October 31st).
Under the slogan “I am a Roma”, campaigners are calling on Roma not
to deny their ethnic origin, and to take pride in their cultural
heritage.
The campaign was prompted by the results of the last census held in
2002 when only 534,000 people declared their Roma origins — far less
than the 1.5 to 2.5 million estimated to make up the community.
“They shrink from declaring they belong to this ethnicity because of
fears of discrimination, repercussions and social marginalisation,” Roma
Civic Alliance of Romania (ACCR) Executive-Director David Mark told
SETimes.
Ordinary Roma are divided over their ethnic background and willingness to declare it.
“I have friends that refuse to admit publicly they are Roma and we
had many arguments on this topic. But I won’t do the same for a very
simple reason: I have been and will always be a Roma,” Mircea
Dumitrache, a 60-year-old plumber from Bucharest, told SETimes.
“I mean, look at me. I have the typical Roma physiognomy. Then, all
my friends and neighbours know I am a Roma. Would there be any
difference if I said I was not one? No. I would only lie to myself. And
how can we fight prejudice if we hide behind our real ethnic roots? And
one more thing: in the end, it won’t be written in any official
document, ID or passport, whether I am a Roma or not,” he added.
He urges others to be proud they are Roma and to accept the benefits.
“If they give us places in schools, why not take advantage of that?
Education is vital for this community. At least this argument should
carry some weight when someone has a second thought about declaring his
ethnic roots,” Dumitrache said.
The campaign envisions several goals, Mark notes.
“First, this is an awareness raising campaign through which we want
to promote the Roma values and identity in the entire community and,
[second], a fight against prejudice.”
The more Roma that are declared, the more benefits they will have at the local and national level, Mark adds.
Source:
SETimes
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