Gypsies

Gypsies

Culture

Their culture, trades, and language are passed down from one person to the next. Most do not read or write. Caravans are formed of related families. Each band is led by a Kris, a tribunal leader who passes judgment based of their religious beliefs and customs.

Facts about Gypsies and Travelers

+Myths, rumors and misinformation surround the presence of minority ethnic groups such as Gypsies and Travelers and these can be hard to rebut. However, below are some facts about Gypsies and Travelers that can be used to discredit many of the more popular myths.

+Romany Gypsies have been in Great Britain for over 600 years, and Irish Travelers have also lived and traveled here for generations.
Both groups are recognized ethnic minorities and are protected by Race Relations legislation.

+Out of about 17,800 Gypsy and Traveler caravans in England, over 14,000 are on authorized, legal sites.

+Romany Gypsies and Irish Travelers have their own languages; Romany Gypsies particularly have very strict customs about hygiene and cleanliness, developed over many years to cope with living on the roads.

+Less than one square mile of land would be needed to accommodate every unauthorized caravan in England.

+91 per cent of all local authorities in England and Wales have Gypsies and Travelers either living in them or passing through.

Several groups, all known to outsiders as "Gypsies," live today in the United States. In their native languages, each of the groups refers to itself by a specific name, but all translate their self-designations as "Gypsy" when speaking English. Each had its own cultural, linguistic, and historical tradition before coming to this country, and each maintains social distance from the others.