In countries like bulgaria, romania, they are automatically associated with stealing. (Although i have read that the government in romania have started moving in the direction of reckognizing the rom people.) But i know that in norway they have been discriminated and ill treated up until the second world war. Many men were even castrated and children were taken away from their families and put into children's homes. (Not on some aryan ideology shit.. they were seen as having a bad culture that couldn't be allowed to spread. It's the worst action that my country is responsible for that i am aware of.) After the second world war, from the 50s up to the 70s, there were also efforts to force Rom families to settle in public housings! you can imagine that that wasn't easy, but it was done to many.

They are a very proud people with a strong culture. Whish i knew more, since somewhere back in my tree of forefathers there is a forefather who was rom. A rom "company of travellers" migrated north up norway through the village where my family name comes from, and supposedly they also stopped in that village for a while. Then comes a long row of norwegians with dark eyes, hair and skin that is abit more brown than what's typical for norwegians.....

My father was mistaken for being Rom when he used to be a taxi driver and had the Rom king, who lives in norway, in the car. My father said no, he was norwegian. The Rom king became angry and wanted him to admit that he was a Rom, and to stop being ashamed of his true culture. Soon, when my old man kept saying he wasn't romani, the king even said he'd kill him, saying it in anger. Not that he'd do it, but it is a people with plenty of temperament.
(actually there are two who claim to be the rom king, also one in italy.. and there's been plenty disagreements over that.)

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