American Roma are considered one of the most closed societies in the world. It is not customary for them to allow outsiders into their environment. But, nevertheless, some information about the life and customs of this people still became known.
American Roma are generally not much different from other Roma. They also have early marriages, which makes it possible to keep young people within the framework of their culture. Closely related marriages are also possible, which sometimes leads to sad consequences in the form of various genetic diseases.
The Gypsy family is surrounded by a mass of myths, some of which they created themselves. Appearing in certain countries, Roma often pretended to be exotic foreigners - immigrants from Israel, Atlantis, etc. They called themselves the descendants of barbarians, Tatars, Egyptian priests, Aztecs, Incas, Romans. There is a legend that says that in the 9th century A. D. a certain Persian shah, who appreciated the singing and dancing abilities of the gypsies, brought them in the amount of 12 thousand from India to his country. Then from Persia, they began to wander around the world. There is a mention of this in the poem "Shahnameh", written by Ferdowsi.
Gypsies migrated from Persia to Armenia, Greece, Eastern and Western Europe. Then, as a result of exile, they came to America. Hitler hated Roma as well as Jews, but their extermination was carried out not on the basis of "ethnicity", but for "anti-social behavior." Even now, many people do not like the nomadic life of the Roma, in the countries of Eastern and Western Europe they still have many problems in this regard. Gypsies live best in the United States and in Russia, where no one forces them to settle and assimilate.
In the United States, according to approximate data, there are about one million Roma, a third of them are in California, the rest are scattered throughout the country. Most Roma have adopted a semi-sedentary lifestyle. Their communities are united in the so-called "kumpanias", which occupy certain territories. The head of the "kumpaniya" is a rum-baron or chief, who is elected by the heads of families. He must be rich and impressive in appearance. The Roma keep the common fund, the money from which goes to various unforeseen expenses, giving bribes, paying lawyers, etc.
What are the gypsies in the United States doing? Basically the same as in other countries. Most of them do not even have a school education, 95% of the Roma are unemployed. Many of them earn their living by fraud, theft, deceit. Roma are not afraid of prisons and do not sit in them for long. In the United States, crimes not related to drugs or violence are punishable by short sentences. Due to a lack of space in overcrowded American prisons, Roma are often the first to be released.
American Gypsies often change their place of residence, surnames, speak their own language with the police, which the representatives of the law, of course, do not understand. There are also famous artists, athletes, and the military in the United States among the Roma immigrants, but they all once broke with their community and are an exception to the generally accepted rules.
