Feel free to ignore that. I just wanted to mention that in response to Loud Whispers. What I really wanted to say is, if this is the right thread, why do Europeans seem to hate Gypsies/Roma so much? I've gotten a LOT of people upset at me by insisting that it's very, very reminiscent of various Central European historical figures of the 1930s and 40s to violently despise Roma people and insist that they are responsible for all of Europe's ills.
Bride kidnapping in Ireland, England and the Netherlands.
Spain had a failed assimilation attempt.
In Britain there were high profile cases where gypsies were breaking into people's houses, setting up camps on people's private property and claiming that it would be against their rights of habitation to be moved. We also had gypsies giving interviews where they gloated that British laws were lax [why?].
In Germany there were some well published cases where gypsies were moving into apartments and failing to maintain it to the standards of the residents they were displacing held it to, turning them into literal sties.
Romanians hate Romas because people confuse the two, in addition to the Romanians despising their practices like the occasional child marriage and also viewing them as 2nd class citizens.
Feminists hate Romas because they uphold fiercely a patriarchal societal unit.
Gypsies also by their nomadic nature often form ghetto-like communities where they distrust outsiders much as the natives distrust the gypsies. I remember one particular humorous anecdote of an American, where she had found some gypsies had shown up near her house and the next day they had taken all of her unripe corn.
In addition they've inherited a long history of embodying the historical tramp and thief, which is not much helped by the fact that most gypsies, especially in Eastern Europe, live in squatter communities where the children are not educated in the schools at all and as such grow up as criminals. Pretty much every European country has at some point every now and then some high profile case where a Roma does something stupid and stupidly acts arrogantly about it.
Limited skill sets, an indifference to receiving help means that for many countries the majority of Romas will hardly ever be able to live out of their stereotypes, as they continue being criminals from generation to generation.
A recent thing from Paris:
"The girls, most aged between 12 and 16 and thought to be mainly Roma, were brought to France from the Balkans and trained how to steal wallets, often targeting Asian tourists who were thought to carry the most cash. The adult masterminds gave the young girl pickpockets a target to steal at least 300 Euros a day and, if they missed it, were punished with "ultra-violent" methods where they were beaten, attacked with knives, burned with cigarettes and often raped.
The male leaders kept their distance from the everyday operation so they would not be caught. The girls were trained to tell police they were 12 years old - an age at which criminal prosecution is difficult in France. The gang is said to have been behind 75 per cent of thefts on the Paris Metro. Here is more on this report of Paris child pickpockets. This is just one of many reports of child pickpockets that are prevalent in France and across Europe - Travelers are advised to be very aware of valuables anything they come in contact with groups of 2 to 5 youth in Paris subways and other tourist attractions."
http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/safety-tips/category/pickpockets-france/tip/pickpockets-in-franceAnd yeah, don't call them gypsies. It's the same as calling Jews "kikes" or "heebs".
I think it also varies by locale. Here, 'Gypsie' tends to be par-for-the-course, with 'Pikey' being somewhat derogatory. We do have more insulting phrases, but I'm kinda unsure as to whether or not it would be suitable.
Pikey's not a racial one, it's similar to "trailer trash" both in meaning and that it's an insult characterized by a lifestyle.
There's an undeniable social problem whithin the gypsy community, TBH, which is only made worse by the prevailing racism. I think the closest analogy to explain the situation to non-European would be to make an analogy to immigrant ghettos. They're both marginalized and stigmatized social groups, in which racism from outside and "us vs them" mentality feed back each other, making the whole situation worse.
"Traditional Roma families educate their children by allowing them to participate in all family activities, including in economic activities. Children observe, participate, and gradually assume a share of responsibility for the extended household. There is no initiation ceremony and no formal testing of acquired skills or knowledge. School is a Gadže institution. It represents everything that outsiders stand for, and everything that separates Roma from outsiders: Rigid rules, obedience toward a person in authority who is not part of the family, oppression of children’s own initiative and withholding responsibility from them, imposition of arbitrary schedules, and perhaps the most difficult of all, partition of children from the rest of their family for long hours. School is thus seen as interfering, potentially, with everyday Roma life. Indeed, it is seen as a threat since it removes children from their parents’ sphere of influence, and weakens their confidence in the ways and traditions of the Roma household."
http://romafacts.uni-graz.at/index.php/culture/introduction/roma-culture-an-introductionThis is the biggest bit that gets them hated. You've got child abuse combined with xenophobia and a total isolation of communication between whatever neighbouring community they've arrived at. If you arrive at a country that offers you free education, free housing, healthcare with benefits on top of that and you still manage to end up in a squalor, you need to come to the terms with the fact that you are to blame for doing nothing to help yourself or even allow others to help you.
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