Spending time with Roma girls & women in Turkey (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
Though most of my research on Roma has focused on the history, culture, and
rights of Roma communities in the Czech and Slovak Republics, I’ve also spent time in Turkey with Roma while on the road. These Roma women and girls in Turkey got a real kick out of seeing me wear pants just like theirs. Recently, Roma in Turkey have been featured in the news because large numbers of Roma are being
displaced by urban development. According to the Budapest-based Roma Rights Center, 10,000 Roma people have been displaced in Turkey over the past seven years. From
France to
Bulgaria and Turkey (and many places in between), Roma are constantly under a variety of different political, social, and economic pressures. If you are in or near New York and want to learn more about Roma history and culture, you might enjoy viewing a
a new exhibit of pre-war (1934-40) black-and-white photographs of Roma taken by Jan Yoors–which runs until January 3rd…
Emily’s Blog