Romani Americans
 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| est. 1,000,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Seattle, and Portland as well as in rural areas in Texas and Arkansas | |
| Languages | |
| American English, Romani | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Islam |
Romani Americans are people in the United States who are Romani. Their ancestors mainly came to the United States from Eastern Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries. It is estimated that there are one million Romani people in the United States. They are also known as American Gypsies.
History
[change | change source]Spain shipped Romani slaves to Louisiana. An Afro-Romani community exists in St. Martin Parish due to intermarriage of freed Africans and Romani slaves. Romanichal and British Roma were enslaved in the Southern United States. Massive Roma migration from Europe began in the nineteenth century. Most were Romanichal. Many resided in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. They were mostly horse traders.[1]
Groups
[change | change source]They are different Roma groups in the USA, with different religions. Majority are Christian Dasikane Roma (Roma Gypsy has nothing to do with Romanians) from Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Spain, and few Muslim Xoraxane Roma from former Ex-Yugoslavia.[2]
Settlements
[change | change source]The Roma are concentrated in large cities such Chicago and Los Angeles and states such as New York, Virginia, Illinois, Texas, and Massachusets.[3]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Emerging Voices: Experiences of Underrepresented Asian Americans. p. 115.
- ↑ "Gypsy Law: Romani Legal Traditions and Culture". 2001.
- ↑ Emerging Voices: Experiences of Underrepresented Asian Americans. p. 116.