ty and are “asking for it” while at the same time claiming a women is a prude if they don’t respond to advances. This positions the oppressor as always right and the oppressed as always wrong, because there are two extreme stereotypes which switch back and forth for blame. In a similar dichotomous way, it becomes easy to blame the “g*psies” for their oppressed status in society because they are nothing but liars and thieves, and then simultaneous capitalizes on the g*psy metaphor and use their apparent mystic experience in a music video or fashion trend. It is not just the Shakira video that this type of splitting is happening. Florence + The Machine has also used the term g*psy in one of her songs (“My Boy Builds Coffins” from 2009’s Lungs) and in a recent interview with Lady Gaga she has described herself as having the heart of a g*psy. And this is just from music! We can also see the negative side of this dichotomous split within terminology such as “g*pped” -- which derives its meaning from the racist slur and the side of the dichotomy that treats this entire group as nothing but thieves, ready to rip you off. The term g*psy itself came from the false belief that the Rromani came from Egypt. In one common narrative, they were exiled from Egypt for
harbouring the infant Jesus. In reality, their roots are in the Northern Indian subcontinent and their diaspora has spread through much of Europe and the Americas. The term g*psy has been used pejoratively against them in the past and has come to conjure up all of these images in society. Much of the Rromai community consider this term as derogatory because of these connotations and do not like to be referred to in such a manner.
“It also ignores the complexity of the culture itself and their strong traditions and own languages.” Even when getting the terminology right, saying that you wish to be Rromani is still problematic because it is appropriative of an entire culture, one that has been systematically persecuted, harassed, and stripped of citizenship. The nomadic lifestyle of the Rromani people was not always by choice, and mystifying living that way completely ignores the fact that some Rromani were forced into it. It also ignores the complexity of the culture itself and their strong traditions and own languages. Making it into a metaphor or style erases individual
identity. Even if the archetype of the g*psy is not actually reflective of the Rromani culture, most people who use it are unaware of the word’s history and how it has been used as a racial slur. In slang, it is derogatory to a group of people, and changing it into a fashion trend, even if it’s “positive” is not going to erase its weight. It is also worth noting that a similar thing has been happening to the Native culture. H&M and Urban Outfitters in particular have been targeted for having promotional photos of women and men wearing headdresses and having “Navajo” style undergarments. People have been appropriating various parts of indigenous culture, such as sacred naming and spirit animals, for their own sake. Whether you’re making fun of it, or you’re claiming it as something you identify with, without understanding the history and the cultural significance behind something, you run the risk of doing damage to someone’s heritage and appropriating. People who have a lot of cultural capital such as Lady Gaga and Shakira should not be throwing around a term like that without understanding its full meaning. They should be speaking out against such trends like this and arguing for better ways to change it. Or, failing that, simply not using the term at all.■