Defining Romanian Roma Identity: An Easy Task or a Difficult One?

This paper refers to Romanian Roma in Glasgow as a case of “invisible” minority not only because its members do not declare religion or ethnicity, but also because of the lack of policy focus. The presentation is based on findings of a research run in 2013 which involved in-depth interviews with representatives of organisations and agencies that develop programs for Roma communities, and with Romanian Roma migrants who live in Glasgow. The paper will focus in the first part on how the Roma identity has asserted itself: language, music, traditional dress, traditional crafts and, most significantly, a specific lifestyle. The problem of how Roma are categorised by ‘Others’ will continue in the second part, highlighting how their identity has been enforced by the way in which this minority has been treated in Romania by the majority of population and by the authorities since the communist era.