Consider the visual grammar of the "Gypsy" photograph. Exoticism, and "otherness" separating these people from their majority context. In the words of Czech Professor Miroslav Vojtĕchovský, these images are a theatre of grotesque characters, irreconcilably different, without redemption. Garish colour can further isolation.
RomaRising offers respectful black and white images of dignity, countering stereotype. Many among these souls are highly educated, and have capacity to function as government ministers and lead within society. Indeed, Mr. Ciprian Necula became State Secretary in the Ministry of European Union Funds, representing the Romanian Government. He is not unique.
Mary Evelyn Porter, educator, researcher, and writer produced oral narratives starting in Bulgaria, some 200 in all. Finally the last piece fell in place: hearing each individual's formational story. These narratives obviate "the tendency to define people of colour, rather than allowing them to speak for themselves." (Alina Şerban, Actor, Romania)
Alas, some of the most prepared Roma we encountered are sequestered to the "Gypsy Bubble" of Romani Affairs. Others, unable to deploy hard-earned degrees, seek locales where they are appreciated, allowing a normal life. Witness the obvious sense of freedom on the visages of those within the Canada folio.
RomaRising became a record of feminine empowerment. Time and again we encounter women of strength and achievement stepping onto the stage, and with impact.
RomaRising also has become an international community: participants from 14 countries met one another at the RomArchive rollout in Berlin, some for the first time.
A RomaRising/EU was possible. Enthusiastic endorsement within the Roma and Sinti community was lost on European underwriting institutions. With notable exception, RomaRising is self-funded, at considerable sacrifice.
Our hope is that majority societies will come to recognise the vast talent in these individuals of RomaRising. They are found treasure within their societies. Regardless of their chosen paths, one discovers them to be superlative embodiments of our common humanity.
A note about the narratives: they are transcribed, as told to us by each participant. They are not journalism. As with the portraits, they occurred at a point in time.
We would like to mention Asen Mitkov, of Bulgaria. When introduced to us by Viktoria Petrova, we knew immediately here was the capable colleague we had always sought: a knowledgeable collaborator, who effortlessly facilitated multiple situations, be it by his spoken Romanes, his equilibrium, his empathy. Asen is at the heart of the project's final decade.
Chad Evans Wyatt and Mary Evelyn Porter
Commentary by Chad Evans Wyatt
Cristina Marian holds a Master's degree in Human Rights, and LLM Program from Central European University. She has graduated from the Faculty of Law, Moldova State University, Chisinau, and holds a Master's in Business Law at the same university. During 2007- 2011 she coordinated the Human Rights department at Roma National Center in Chisinau, Moldova. In 2010-2011 Ms Marian was a Fellow within the project "Capacitating Moldovan Human Rights activists for effective Human Rights advocacy", established by the Moldovan Soros Foundation and OSF Budapest, reporting the human rights infringements against Roma before the UN Committees in Geneva. Cristina is a Board Member of Forum of European Roma Young People (FERYP) since 2011 and coordinator of the Roma Students Initiative, organizing Barvalipe — the 3rd Roma Pride Summer School in August 2013. Currently, Cristina is a Fellow with Justice Initiatives at Open Society Foundations, Budapest.
Mary Evelyn Porter
Elena Sîrbu is Editor in Chief of the Romanes language programme, Petalo Romano at TV1 Moldova. Elena is a broadcaster, editor, and investigative reporter for the Internet Radio station, Radio Patrin.
Elena and her husband André live in the capital city, Chișinău. They have a fourteen-year-old son, Janick. Nowadays her mother has some health problems and is at home taking care of the grandchildren. Elena's brother, Alexei was recently married but does not yet have children.
Elena was born and raised in the village of Chetrosce in the Bessarabia Region of Moldova. The Duminicas, her father's extended family or vitsa, came from Western Romania near the Hungarian border. Her father and grandfather were both cobblers. Their family subgroup or Kumpania is Laesh – that is gold panners in Romanes. The Laesh have been assimilated into the mainstream culture for a long time. Elena's grandmother had her own house. Her mother and grandmother picked tobacco. "I had a happy childhood growing up with my brother and sister cared for by my mother and grandmother, both named Natalia. In our village everybody knew each other. No difference was made between Moldavian and Roma. My family educated us to appreciate those we meet in life. My grandmother would say, 'we all have steps to go up in life, but we must remember that we must eventually come down those same steps again. It is no shame to ask for food if you are hungry or a place to sleep if you don't have a bed, but it is a shame to steal or to forget goodness shown to you.'"
"When I was about fourteen, some younger children harassed me as I was walking home from school. They used the racial epithet "crow" to insult me and my family because we are Roma. I felt such shame. I didn't mention the incident to my parents, but the hurt stayed with me." Elena and her husband didn't want their son to experience the same anti-Roma prejudice. They looked for a school for him in Chișinău. His father dropped him off and picked him up so that Janick would not be harassed on his way home. Then in 3rd grade a new boy entered the class. He began to torment Janick calling him 'Gypsy' and hitting him. Yes, Elena told her son, we are Roma, but your ethnicity does not limit you in any way. Your mother is a TV host; she is respected by people who matter. Your mother finished university and so will you. At fourteen, Yanick now dreams of becoming a lawyer or an accountant or any occupation connected with mathematics.
Initially Elena wanted to become a teacher. Her father encouraged her to study and pursue a career. "Ada and Alex are light skinned", he told me; they will be able to make their way, but you are dark, so you must have a profession to survive." Her father steered her toward translation where she would make more money. Elena did well on her high school matriculation exams and entered the State University of Moldova in the Department of French and English.
In 1991, when Moldova became independent from Russia, a place was established for Roma students at the State University. In 1998, my father met Pavel Andreichencko, one of the first Roma to push for the rights of the Roma minority after the fall of the Soviet Union. USC Shoah Foundation Institute testimony of Pavel Andreichenko. https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/vha50012)
Through Mr. Andreichencko's auspices, Elena obtained the Roma seat. However, she was not happy in the Department of French and English and asked Mr. Andreichencko's permission to switch her major to Romanian. Mr. Andreichencko suggested that she major in journalism. "We don't have journalists; we need journalists," he told Elena. It upset my father that I decided to be a journalist. Women journalists were regarded as 'bitches' – not simply by the Roma community, but by the mainstream society as well.
Elena completed her community service requirement for her final year of university at Moldavian National TV1 as an editor and anchorwoman for Petalo Romano. Eudolachia Negru, a soloist with the Moldovan Folk Dance Ensemble JOC (Game) had established the National TV programme, Petalo Romano, in 1996 in an effort to give voice to minority languages in the newly independent, Romanian speaking nation. She was the first Roma woman to be declared an Artist Emeritis by Moldova for her work with JOC. http://trm.md/ru/petalo-romano
Ms. Negru was the voice of Petalo Romano until she retired in 2002. Elena took over her position and worked as writer, editor, and anchor for the Romanes language service until 2004 when her son was born. Elena then took a long leave of absence and did not return to Petalo Romano until 2012.
In 2006, Elena took advantage of an opportunity to study in English in Brighton, England. Her husband joined her, and they hoped to establish UK residency, but despite all their efforts they could not secure immigration status for their son. "It was very difficult. I left my son a baby and returned when he was five."
In 2009, Elena returned to Moldova and began teaching kindergarten. Once again racism blocked her career path. Parents did not want her teaching their children. She was forced to resign. She spent one year at home. "I had spent years in the UK where people did not care about my background. Here I was back in Moldova. My family helped me to get through that period. If not for them? Who knows."
In 2012, Elena received a call from Petalo Romano inviting her to return to her old job. From 2004 to 2012 a number of people had held the position of anchor at Petalo Romano but there was no consistency and no vision. Elena returned to a transformed media landscape. "When I left Petalo Romano in 2004, we were using VHS cassettes. When I returned in 2012, it was all DVDs and digital. Our director, Luminița Florea, was a godsend. She was my mentor. The Romanes language service is not funded at the level of minority languages such Russian or Ukrainian. They have staff. I have to do everything on my own."
Elena established the Internet Radio station, Radio Patrin in 2016. The goal of the station is to promote human rights through mass media. "These are the most powerful tools that we have today to educate entire societies even reaching those who do not attend school." She would like to have an FM station, Radio Patrin, and has applied for a license but it is very expensive. "I am looking at various ways of raising money online." www.radiopatrin.md
In March 2018, Elena attended a Roma Women's Conference in Barcelona where she spoke about the importance of Petalo Romano and Radio Patrin.
Elena has just completed an internship in the Polygraph Department of Voice of America in Washington DC during the month of August 2018.
At the end of August, Elena broadcast live from a celebration sponsored by the Eastern European Immigrant Hope Plan of Chicago (a Moldovan immigrant community organization). Their invited guest, Mr. Artur Cerari, is the current Rom Baro of Moldova. The fundraiser kicked off a partnership between the Rom Baro and EEIHP. Money collected is designated for educational endeavors for Roma children.
"When I think of the work ahead I become so stressed, but when I see the results, it's like Yes! This gives me the confidence to continue. When you work from your heart; when you have to do something, and you understand that nobody else is going to do it – just you. It's amazing."
