Romani Identity
Romani identity has always been complex but there is one overwhelming factor that determines it. That is our possession of Romani 'rat,' blood. Particularly among British Roma there has been extensive intermarriage with non-gypsies which obviously dilutes the percentage of Romani geness. There are pure Romanies, posh-rats - people who are half-Roma- and diddakai - people with some Roma blood in them. Romanies are divided into two principal groups, Roma and Sinti. The terms Roma and Romani are often used interchangeably but this is a mistake. Just as there are two separate groups of Romanies, so there are distinct 'vitsas' - tribes - within the groups. In Britain the predominant tribe among the Romanies is Cale but with the growing numbers of Eastern European gypsies arriving that is becoming less true. There are at least twenty-three subgroups of the Romani people.. The most importan are the Cale, Manush, Kalderash, Lovara and Horahane. In recent years with the collaps...