Cultural appropriation and the Fortune Teller stereotype.

The reason you can't find any information, is that in 1920's America, the immigration that took place was that of Romani who were leaving Europe after the years directly following the end of WWI.

Within the next two years, Romani and Sinti were forced to undergo a documentation process, giving blood, fingerprints, family history, and trade routes.

This was the beginning of the exodus that lasted until just before WWII, when the borders closed, trapping Romani within Nazi- occupied territory.

My own Grandfather and Aunties escaped during this time.

The families that came to America hid their ethnicity. As they immersed within American culture, we, their descendants, lost our own as they went into hiding.

My Grandfather joined a Baptist Church and learned to speak English; he would never again speak his native tongue

He hid his ethnicity from his own son, but these things have a way of coming to surface.

You will find, even within this group, similar stories.

Descendants of those immigrants who have only pieces of understanding of their own history and race because it was so vital to stay alive in the face of genocide.

It DOESN'T MATTER HOW YOU DRESS UP YOUR STORY, because the truth of the matter is that actual Romani who immigrated during that time period were hiding their ethnicity because of the genocide.

Even Romani who had already been living in this country had already gone into hiding TO PRESERVE OUR PEOPLE and SAVE OUR RACE FROM EXTINCTION.

The choice you have clearly made to include Romani is ONLY for your benefit and appropriation.

There is NO HISTORICAL CONTEXT in which this is anything but appropriation and historically innaccurate.

This "stuff" is my culture as well as my personal family history and YES, it is frustrating to have to keep explaining it to you, especially as you seem determined to ignore my words because it is to your benefit to appropriate my culture using offensive stereotypes.

/r/romani Thread Parent