It is true that being Roma in Hungary is not easy these days. As a Roma, you face prejudices, encounter blatant or subtle racism, and very often you live in a disadvantaged family where chronic deprivation seems inevitable. You are most likely poor. You have several siblings, poorly educated parents, and live in sub-standard housing somewhere at the edge of a village. You have most likely attended a segregated school, if at all. You have experienced abuse from the police and sometimes ethnic-based atrocities. Your children probably face the same fate, the same life. Whose fault is this? The typical reply is that it is the state and the intolerant majority, and it is incumbent on them to take all responsibility for changing the situation. As a Roma and an ‘expert’ in this field, I have been involved in numerous discussions where this simplification is applied. I must say that it is not right.
When I meet other Roma people, I usually inquire about their personal experiences with intolerance and how they deal with it. Confronted with these experiences, we are forced to search ourselves for a solution. What can one do to foster change and a thaw in our relations with the rest of Hungarian society?
To blame the whole of society and government does not help. The Roma need to initiate change in their own communities. This is the most difficult and the most crucial part of the solution. The Roma need to adopt a new approach towards the majority and start the process of reuniting their own communities on the local level. There is no such thing as a countrywide Roma nation. However, there are Roma individuals, Roma families and local, Roma communities, each with their own characteristics, values and responsibilities. With some effort, they will have a chance to shape their own reputation and win respect where they live – or at least set the tone for a more peaceful coexistence with their neighbors. If they try, they will not have to share the shame of other Hungarian Roma who reinforce prejudices and embody stereotypes with their actions.
The ‘Us and Them’ division should exist in society, but not between the Roma and the non-Roma. The divide should fall between the Roma who make an effort to ascend the barriers and integrate into society and those who do not care to try. Society sees violent crimes committed by some Roma and judge the whole as guilty. To avoid that, at least on the local level, the Roma should prove that not all of us are criminals. Myself, my family, and my community are exceptions to the rule. Villages such as Uszka, Igrici, Kotaj, Gönc , and Besence are good examples, communities that have worked hard to distinguish themselves from the culture of crime. The more Roma communities that strive to change their own reputation, the sooner we will see a reversal of our role in Hungarian society. Without this process, prejudices will never be erased.
As a Roma, it is discouraging for me when people use the term ‘Gypsy crime’ as if referring to a genetic encoding specific to the Roma. We are not naturally evil with a penchant for immorality. Nevertheless, I have to admit that most of the Roma live in a special socio-cultural environment where individuals are easily lured into a life of crime. What entices so many into that life, and what can we do to pull them back into our law-abiding society?