[To begin I must say that I am annoyed I haven't finished this or gotten it up sooner, but as I carry on writing I thought I may as well post the first part...]
Something I've been meaning to write about for a while and something that I
feel strongly about is the stigma surrounding the Gypsy Roma and Irish Traveler
ethnicity.
To quote the all-knowing Wikipedia, 'The term gypsy more specifically
refers to people of Romani origin, an ethnic group that can be traced to the
Indian subcontinent, while Travelers are mainly of Irish or English origin.
They are considered an ethnic group under British law.'
So technically the verbal abuse and social targeting that the Travelling
community receive is a form of racism? And racism is apparently unacceptable,
so how come its so natural for us 'Settled people' to stereotype all Gypsys and
pigeon hole them as being a certain way, using derogatory terms such as 'Pikey'
and the like to describe them.
Illegal immigrants and people who aren't originally from this country
receive more respect and help from the governments than these communities that
are born here but choose maintain a separate set of traditions.
Let’s look into the facts of their way of life-
Starting with their morals and the way in which they raise their children,
one of the most important points that I admire. People who watch the popular
television show 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding' will be familiar with the tradition
that woman marry young, usually as teenagers of around 16-17, with the majority
of wives expected to be virgins at time of marriage. Most girls have a strict
upbringing, being watched over closely by their Mother and Father and have to
be chaperoned on any outings, especially with a man/future husband. Groups of
sisters, cousins etc. stick together and have to accompany each other even if
only taking a trip to the shop. Dropping out of public school before the end of
primary school, girls start to help contribute in the home, learning to keep
the family home clean and look after their younger siblings and family members
in preparation for their marriage. Meanwhile the young boys learn the important
knowledge and trades that they'll use to support a future wife.
As far as I'm concerned there is nothing wrong with any of the above
stated. On the contrary, if anything I think people should take a leaf out of
their book and strive to raise their children to have respect and know their
place. The males and females are both aware of their social standings and
ranking within the community, reminiscent of the 50s where the men were the
bread winners and women filled the housewife roll. I cannot really understand the problem people
have with this, unlike feminists the travelers don’t protest and force their
views on anyone else, do they?
To be continued…
