Christina Smith

ENG 102H CRN 14268

Paper 1
March 7, 2016

Insiders, Outsiders, and Others: Gypsies and Identity by Kalwant Bhopal and Martin
Myers, dives into the history of gypsy life and the discrimination they faced. The purpose in
writing this book was really to educate others on the myths and factual information surrounding
the culture. She is a Professor of Education and Social Justice, who has spent a great deal of time
and experience examining the lives of black minority ethnic groups, also Gypsies and Travellers.
Martin Myers is a research consultant with wide experience of educational issues, with extensive
experience in the education of Gypsy children. They both are more than qualified to attempt to
shed some light on the Gypsy lifestyle.
The Gypsy people, also known as Roma, had origins in India before they dispersed
throughout Europe, and later to North and South America. Not much is known for sure of the
current population, and there is no reliable worldwide count. Many Gypsy or Romani people
have chosen not to reveal their ethnic identity during the census because they still fear
discrimination. One of the significant moments in the work is her detailed history of the culture,
more specifically their history in the UK. Bhopal talks about how at the time they first arrived
(around 1500), that it was a capital offense to be a Gypsy, and by the seventeenth century, they
were being used as slaves. How does a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of a culture lead to
repercussions as harsh as being put to death? If not death, Gypsies were subject to ethnic

cleansing, and even having their children taken away from them. As with any other culture or
religious group who has been persecuted, its all about perspective and opinion of the majority.
The authors tone is somewhat biased, as she already feels that white culture
differentiates itself and where understandings of where gypsy identity fall within whiteness.
Throughout the book, there is also a scholarly tone as she gives a detailed history of the origins
of the culture, and how all the misconceptions were formed. Bhopal also gives an extensive
amount of background history of their migration and why it was necessary, to dispel the negative
thoughts that most have about Gypsies. There is an undertone and feelings of frustration about
the subject, that she desperately wants for people to not judge and make assumptions off of
stereotypes, but to learn what the Gypsy people are really about. The tone of this book greatly
reflects the authors extensive background in minority studies and her desire to sort out the fact
and fiction associated with Gypsies. I think such a serious tone is intended to really catch the
attention of the audience and paint a picture of how harshly the Gypsy people were treated.
The audience is anyone who is interested enough to actually go out and research the
topic, and come across this book. I dont know if the intended audience is reached however. The
main purpose of this work seems to be to gain an understanding of the culture and to move away
from the stereotypes associated with it. That can be helpful to anyone who is looking to just learn
more about the Gypsy culture, but I think an audience that is racially or culturally biased was
who she was setting out to address. Most times though, a person who has held such strong
feelings is usually set in their ways and most likely would not take the time to do so. The authors
are pointing out the stranger in society is often portrayed negatively just because they dont fit
into a certain societys standards. They relate the idea that not only the Gypsy culture, but uses
blacks and other minority groups as example of this. The authors goal is to get readers to

become aware of these issues and research them further. It is stated that even with these
stereotypes being recognized, the Gypsy communities in Britain are still suffering and not being
truthfully represented. Her belief that society needs to become more accepting of other cultures
is clear in this book, and is what she is hoping to do through her work.
This book has so many quotes that are great and clear representations of Bhopals
perspective of the human race in regards to racism. The idea that anyone that doesnt fit into a
certain box or isnt exactly like the majority, is going to deal with discrimination is what I got.
That it is human nature for people to reject what they dont know or dont understand. On one
hand the idea of the Gypsy is romanticized and exoticised, on the other it is associated with dirt,
idleness, and disruption. Both these stereotypes contribute to the negative ways in which Gypsies
are seen and have long been used to disadvantage Gypsy communities. In most stories, Gypsies
are portrayed as flirty, mischievous and highly sexualized women, or as dirty, questionable
people who roam around from city to city not really contributing to anything.
Because of its forbidden nature, miscegenation acquired an attraction that journalists were quick
to exploit; depictions of sexual encounters between colonized or enslaved women of color and
white males in their position of control found a ready place in Victorian literature. The erotic
photography of the late 19th century consisted largely of naked African or Asian women. That
magazines such as National Geographic have traditionally never included photographs of
unclothed white women merely helped carry that double standard into the 20th century.
(Hancock)
Once a certain image is perpetuated so much, people assume it has to be true. Folk tales
describing a Gypsy smith making the nails for Christs crucifixion and as a result damning them
as a race have persisted for the last 500 years. The Gypsy version suggests a Gypsy discovered

what the nails were to be used for and swallowed one, hence Christ was only crucified with three
nails and the Gypsies have been pursued for the missing nail ever since.and an association
with evil often tied to the folklore of the dominant religion. This quote is so important because
it is a perfect example of the disconnect that Bhopal speaks about. The majority dictates the
perception of the minority, no matter how untrue their stories may be. Of course we may never
know which is true, or if any situation at all similar ever even happened, but this shows how
powerful stereotypes are and how they will stick through generations, even centuries. People will
harbor such strong negative feelings for a people, and have no real sense of why they feel that
way, or what was done to deserve such terrible treatment. As someone who had not had much
knowledge of the Gypsy culture or their struggles, this quote, and this book in general opened
my eyes even more to issues of racism and how far back they dated. As an American, I was
aware of the discrimination African Americans, Mexicans, Middle Eastern cultures faced. In
school, we were taught about the Holocaust, and Japanese internment camps, but I never once
heard of the plight of Gypsy people.
This book does a great job of describing the us vs them mentality that is so common in
human nature. Insiders, Outsiders, and Others brings to light the problems of minority groups
and is a great place to begin researching the Gypsy culture. The idea that humans tend to reject
what they are unfamiliar with is a huge determining factor in the way we treat others, and that is
what Bhopal is trying to change. Today, most of the Romani people have settled into homes and
are not as easily noticed as they once were, but still feel the need to hide their ethnicity. It is sad
that in this day, any group feels the need to do this. They still face discrimination from the
cultures that represent the majority of wherever they may be now. The struggle with treating

other as outsiders is still felt today. Until people truly become more open minded and willing
to accept others differences, there will always be the mentality of insiders and outsiders.

Works Cited
Bhopal, Kalwant, and Martin Myers. Insiders, Outsiders and Others: Gypsies and Identity.
Hatfield: U of Hertfordshire, 2008. Print.
Hancock, Ian. "The 'Gypsy' Stereotype and The Sexualization of Romani Women." RADOC.
N.p., Apr. 2007. Web. 06 Mar. 2016