Hidden: Life With California’s Roma Families by Cristina Salvador Klenz, which pubs on April 5, soon will join the ranks of a small but important group of artists raising awareness about Romani-Americans — a subculture historically reduced to stereotypes and subject to relentless prejudice — and that’s when they’re acknowledged at all.
There are about a million Romani people living in the United States today, but you’d be forgiven for being surprised by that, as they are rarely acknowledged by mainstream society. Here are five excellent books that — in addition to our own! — are doing the important work of educating the public and dispelling harmful myths about this vibrant group of people.
As Hidden so dramatically reveals to those of us living in California, the Roma are our neighbors. We’re already living side by side, whether we know it or not. The least we can do is educate ourselves.
1) Gypsies by Josef Koudelka
Perhaps the most well-known work featuring the Roma, this black-and-white photography book provides an intimate look into the lives of European Romanies in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Contradicting the negative views of the time period, Koudelka’s work is a testament to the strength of the Romani people as they persevere despite poverty and ostracization. This book, Klenz’s favorite, served as the inspiration for Hidden.
2) We Are the Romani People by Ian Hancock
Hancock wrote the foreword for Hidden and, as a Romani, is uniquely poised to share an insider’s perspective on this little-known group. We Are the Romani People is a thorough guide to understanding the rich culture of the Roma. With sections such as “The Gypsy image,” and “How to Interact With Romanies,” Hancock acknowledges society’s rejection of the Roma while offering advice on how to actively reject these harmful stereotypes. Hancock is the author of several great books, but this is our favorite.
3) Gypsies: The Hidden Americans by Anne Sutherland
Klenz hails Sutherland as “the most important contributor to American Romani literature,” and Gypsies: The Hidden Americans , in particular, as “the Bible of American Romani studies.” Published a little over a decade after the Roma were officially acknowledged as a minority in the United States, Sutherland’s book Gypsies is a study of America’s complex web of Romani nations. Sutherland delves into the social lives and beliefs of American Roma, exploring the ways they have avoided assimilation and retained their unique identity.
4) American Gypsy by Oksana Marafioti
Marafioti’s family immigrated to the United States from Russia when she was fifteen years old, seeking a better life and a reprieve from rampant racism. As Romanies, her family’s experience adjusting to life in America was decidedly unique. Marafioti brings readers into the hidden world of the Roma through emotional, entertaining anecdotes, and examines the tension between individuality and assimilation that all immigrants must navigate.
5) Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and Their Journey by Isabel Fonseca
By combining individual stories with reportage, Fonseca brings the history of the European Roma to life. Bury Me Standing explores the Roma’s past as one of the most persecuted ethnic groups. From their exodus out of India to being targeted by Nazis during the Holocaust, Romanies have known unspeakable pain. By looking at the individuals behind the stereotypes, Fonseca questions the beliefs that have long caused the Roma to live on the fringes of society.
Honorable mention goes to The Romani Gypsies by Yaron Matras, The Gypsies by Jan Yoors, Exploring Gypsiness by Ada Engelbrigtsen and The Gypsy ‘Menace’ by Michael Stewart.
