Diary of a Romanian Rasist in Transition. Episode 2
(this is a translation from Romanian, partially with AI support)
The most important word in the title is “anymore.” It would be very easy for me now to theorize about the use of the words rom and romni (instead of what the majority of Romanians actually use which is țigani) when speaking about ethnicity. It would be very convenient to let it be understood that I have always been wise. It would also be a lie. And journals are about truth.
At some point, when I was younger, perhaps in the first years after the 1989 Revolution, I heard the term rom for the first time. It came with the usual jokes about a certain alcoholic drink. If we’re telling the truth here, my first reaction was: “Oh please, now they’re acting all important. They’re still gypsies!” I even convinced myself that they, the Roma themselves, didn’t want to be called that (incidentally, a tactic used by world-class racists who point at people of various races, ethnicities, or orientations and use their own language as a weapon to humiliate them). We’ll get there in another episode. But it’s important to take it slowly… it’s a lot, and it’s heavy.
Until recently, I kept oscillating: when I wanted to appear elevated, to speak correctly and not seem racist, I used the word rom. In the comfort of my home or among friends, I used the word beginning with “g.” It’s just… how things are done around here, right? If that’s what comes naturally? As I said in Episode 1, I learned racism as a child: not from any intention of those who raised and educated me, but because that was (and unfortunately still is) the society we live in and the one they had lived in before.
Listening to Episode 2 of the podcast Obiceiul Pământului (only in Romanian), I understood why the term beginning with “g” (țigani in Romanian language) must disappear from my vocabulary forever. Ana Maria Ciobanu, the podcast host, explains:
“What we can say with certainty is that the Roma left India around the year 1000, passed through Asia Minor where some were used by the Tatars to shoe horses and repair carts. They then crossed the Byzantine Empire and arrived in Greece, where they were given the name ‘athinganoi,’ meaning ‘untouchable,’ translated in the first Romanian charters as ‘țigani.’ The Greek term referred to a sect of heretics whom the Greeks called this because they were not Christian and therefore had to be avoided. The Roma did not use this term to define their ethnic identity. In the Romani language, they called themselves Rom, which means man, human.”
The author of The Roma: A Travelling History, Dr. Madeline Potter, acknowledges that there is some debate surrounding the story above. However, returning to my foundation of racist stories from around the world… what Ana Maria Ciobanu describes sounds… characteristic of a majority people who believe themselves superior due to faith, skin color, education, comfort, and so on.
And if there is even the slightest possibility that this interpretation gave birth to the term beginning with “ț,” it is reason enough to encourage us (if we are stepping toward antiracism) to stop using it. Why would we want to place ourselves in the position of hurting another human being? Even with the faintest shadow of an oppressive past.
Dr. Potter clarifies, in her author’s note, the terms to use: rom as masculine singular and romni as feminine singular noun. She uses romani as an adjective (e.g., Romani language) and romany when referring to people of Roma ethnicity who speak English, to reflect the spelling they themselves prefer. (Potter, 2025)
I would be lying again if I said that, the moment the information above reached me, change happened instantly. No real change, no genuine transformation happens like that. I still catch myself beginning with the letter “ț.” What matters is that I stop and correct myself. The human brain is fascinating: at any age, it can delete faulty lines of code and rewrite others, more appropriate ones. We only need to help it through behavior and repetition.
Resource:
DoR. (2023). Obiceiul Pământului [Podcast series]. Available at https://www.dor.ro/obiceiul-pamantului/
Potter, M. (2023). The Roma: A travelling history. The Bodley Head.
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