Cultural Lesson #12: Gitans (Gypsies)
Anyone who's seen Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame knows that there are Romani people in France. We recount stories of how they barrage us at tourist monuments in Paris, play the accordion in public squares, and dragoon us in the streets asking for "une petite pièce" (just a coin). I have very mixed feelings about les gitans.
First of all, they are completely aggressive. They bombard you, they don't take no for an answer, they are professional beggars.
But, they are people, too. It breaks my heart to see the whole family on the tram in the morning heading out for a day's work. The boys that are my age get off at one stop with their clipboards, ready to bamboozle and swindle. The children that are in their early teens get off at the next stop with their scrub brushes and soap to try to wash car windows. The men get off at the next stop with their cups to beg for coins. The women get off at the next stop with their young children to beg for money at the tram stop.
And what I find the most disturbing is their exploitation of their children. Why are these children dancing in the streets and playing the accordion and washing car windows instead of going in school, running around outside, learning how to read, and playing? They don't even get to be kids.
So my experience with les gitans has been very distressing. It's almost worse than grappling with the question of how to help SDFs (the homeless) because their way of life is so cyclic and enduring. The kids are "working" as gypsies from day one and I can't imagine that they will ever stop.
So I guess my real question: is it even something I should worry myself with? Is it completely arrogant of me to assume that because these people don't live the way I do, that they need my help?
I'd like your thoughts in the comments.
This is a tough one, and I think we've all grappled with it in some way. When I walk past a beggar in the street and don't acknowledge their presence so that they won't hassle me, that makes me feel pretty shitty because they're an etre-humain and it never feels right pretending they don't exist, especially when clearly there's a need. On the other hand, you have to attend to that need in calculated ways. On my mom's way to work there are always a few homeless people, and in the summer she brings along extra water bottles for them and in the winter, old blankets. Or donate to an organization like a food bank that can then hand out aid in a more organized way. Or at least that's how I justify it. No easy answer, but I hope this helps a bit!
ReplyDeleteWell...that's a difficult issue and I'll try my best to get my thougths in the right order and - more importantly - to express them correctly. First of all, I have been thinking about exactly this for about 1-2 months more intensly...first reason: more and more people start begging in the streets (their presence as it gets warmer outside increases) nad secondly - my stolen wallet on a Sunday afternoon....I guess Kathleen still remembers me being quite distressed at mass. This actually happened when some boys from a gipsy family were trying to collect signatures and at the same time someone shouted "Controleurs!!!"...Pushing, and - well...after that my wallet was stolen...a well known habit as the police officer confirmed later. I think that you are right, Kathleen in saying that they are human beings, of course and that everyone own the right to be treated with dignity and respect. But now there is the other aspect. I think that there is a HUGE difference between people in Chicago e.g. and here. Sometimes I even tend to say here many people seem to "choose" to be an SDF, sometimes it seems to be a way of life. A controleur once told me that they could not even do anything to prevent them from blocking the coins in the vending mashines as they are European citizens, therefore nothing can expell them from France. And in this regard they definitely take advantage of that "privilege". Actually, I used to be a volunteer at Lakeview Pantry over a long period of time and it was such a great experience when our clients were grateful and happy about ANYTHING they received, no matter how much food we had. However here, two days ago I witnessed a situation on tram ligne 1 that made me angry. A young girl was begging for money and she got 50 cents....however...she touched the woman asking for MORE as she saw that the woman had her wallet outside in her hands....Her mother and father and sisters and brothers were on the same tramway, too, encouraging her to go on....It was like an instinct...but I felt that THIS was too much. I immediately asked the woman whether she needed help because I remembered my own situation that Sunday afternoon. To put it in a nutshell, it is more the system of ignorance and "laisser-faire", by security, controlleurs, police and other representants of this political system that allow those circumstances that make me angry.....well, I hope that everyone reading my thought will get it right....
ReplyDelete*Roma person.
ReplyDeleteThe word "gypsy" has derogatory connotations.