The "G*psy Life" : Crystal ball or Kristallnacht?

Crystal balls, boho style and the fabulous travelling life are probably the first things to come to mind upon the mention of the word "g*psy". Perhaps you're even familiar with more negative connotations, like "thief", "beggar" or "bum". Although all of the above are commonly associated together under the term throughout all sorts of media, my understanding is that it's one of the more persistent stereotypes of an overlooked community.

Expectation : Gypsy has become synonymous with boho-chic among white girls.

You might ask yourself why the word has been censored throughout this article, and the reason for this is the offensive nature of what many consider a slur. G*psy is a derogatory term referring to the Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group with roots from Northern India, who find themselves scattered throughout Europe and the Americas with a long history of oppression.

I personally find it very unfortunate that the history or even existence of Romani people is still seldom talked about today, even in history class.

Reality : Here is a photo of Romani people living in poverty, as most of them did. 

One of the only truths to the stereotypes is the nomadic lifestyle of the Roma people. However, as opposed to be being go-with-the-flow runaway hippies, the Roma people were nomadic mostly due to the constant persecution and subsequent poverty they were met with in Europe, probably since their appearance in the Balkans around 900-years ago. They were enslaved in the 13th and 14th century throughout Europe, as well as being victims to genocide during the Holocaust. The Romani people still face discrimination today in many communities as a result.

"Okay, but why should I care?" is probably your response to this knowledge. You're also probably still going to wear your gold headpiece to Coachella, because it's "totally cute". And you're allowed to. But I feel as if it's important to recognize the persecution the people faced, before distorting an entire minority culture for the sake of aesthetic.

Put this into perspective : 500,000+  Romani people were murdered during the Holocaust (god knows how many throughout history) and nobody wants to talk about it... But taking a part of their culture to look cute is fine, right?

*It's important to note that despite the title, there are no recorded Romani murdered on the night of Kristallnacht. That being said, it wouldn't be surprising if there were any, considering the lack of records, especially for Romani people.*

Sources : "The History and Origin of the Roma." The History and Origin of the Roma. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.
"The Fate of the Roma during the Holocaust: The Untold Story" The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme. UN News Center. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.