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Notes -
Are they ?
The police article makes America to be something like a paradise for Roma. So many marks, so much anonymity, no one knows them. I'm fairly sure in central and eastern Europe, the mere sight of combo of shabby or loud clothing and dusky skin has people getting wary, checking their wallets, etc.
Jews would probably take offence at this, but I believe it's fair to say the Gypsies are the most persecuted ethnic group ever:
It's really hard to find any other ethnic group treated this harshly in history - even Jews were treated better.
It's all extremely mysterious and depressing until you get some personal experience.
Personally, I'm happy every time I see an assimilated gypsy, just being a normal person, participating in economy other than the metal trade.
In America, they'd barely stand out, perhaps people would take them for half-Indians or so.
Goddamn, I didn't expect this level of racial insensitivity in an American magazine. I can't imagine an article like this being written about the Blacks even back in 2001.
It's a 2001 article, and by retired police - guy with a cushy pension and not much to lose. (Also check out the comments to the article - pretty interesting too).
Roma are extremely factional, so they can't really muster any serious lobbying effort even in countries where they're a large fraction of the population. If you talk to them, they usually intensely resent other Roma groups in the immediate area.
It probably has to do something with the clan structure of Roma society.
So, in the US, where they probably don't even make up .5% of the population.
Blacks aren't like this and have ethnic solidarity, thus are much better organised.
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