Romani people in Poland

Cygan is a pejorative term used in Poland to refer to the Roma. Cygan and the verb "ocyganić" ("to cheat") share an etymology; Cygan connotes qualities such as theft and lying. == Demographics ==

Census As of 2012, 96% of residents in Poland claim to be ethnically Polish and 4% claim to belong to another ethnicity. Geographic dispersion As of 2007, 93% of Polish Roma live in cities; 13% in the Lesser Poland, 10% in Lower Silesia and 10% in Masovia regions. == Historical Backdrop ==

Origins Linguistic evidence shows the Roma's emigration from Northwestern India to Europe, between the 3rd to 7th century AD, and to Poland at around 1400. Interwar period Poland gained its independence in 1918 and the Second Polish Republic was formed. In 1930, the emergence of a nationalist sentiment in Poland encouraged the development of a separate Roma authority, predominantly composed of the Kalderash subgroup. In 1918, the first two Roma kings emerged: Michalak I and Gregory, their rule was premised on publicising the Roma's interests and concerns. Janusz Kwiek was the last ruler, who reigned from 1937 until he was subsequently killed during the Porrajmos (WWII). In 1941, Heinrich Himmler, a leading member of the Nazi party sent 5,000 Roma to the 'Łódź ghetto' in German-occupied Poland, As of the Second World War, Poland is considered an ethnically and culturally homogeneous country. Additionally, in Polish society, discrimination against Romani people is considered a social, rather than ethnic issue. PRL period After the war, Poland became a satellite state of the Soviet Union and remained so until 1989. The ruling Polish United Workers Party (PZPR), the dominant government force in the country's one-party state system, attempted to cultivate a uniform civic identity, and forcefully settle the Roma. Education-wise the Roma "sedentarization" lead to an increase in schooling amongst Roma: 25% from 1950–1960 to 82% in 1970s. Due to cultural and linguistic variances between Roma children and non-Roma educators, they were reportedly placed in separate classes and subject to different curriculums. Post-Soviet dissolution Following the events of 1989 and Poland's transformation into a unitary semi-presidential republic with democratic elections, Roma organisations such as the Association of Roma were founded in Poland. In 1990 the 'Solidarity government' in Poland commenced its economic privatisation, resulting in the loss of industry jobs for sedentary Roma such as the Carpathian Roma. The surge in resentment is exemplified by the "Mława pogrom" that occurred in 1991, in which much Roma property was destroyed and Roma families were forced to hide or flee after a fatal hit-and-run incident sparked a popular outrage that led to the unrest; Mława, where the car accident and subsequent riot took place, was experiencing high levels of unemployment (35%), relative to the national 10%. Mayor Chmieliński also stated that tensions may have been rooted in racism, which the dissolution of censorship in the 1990s allowed to surface. == Customs and culture ==

, 1940 Language As per a 2008 survey, 90% of the 500 Romanies interviewed in Poland claimed to predominantly speak Romani. Roma subgroups speak several dialects: the Bergitka Roma speak Carpathian Romani and others speak Baltic Romani. and lexical borrowings: 12.5% of the Polska Roma and 21.5% of the Bergitka Roma's vocabulary is derived from the Polish language (inclusive of Slavic languages). Such vocabulary involves, the names of institutions, This is manifest in religious practices, such as the seven-hour pilgrimage to the 'Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows in Limanowa'. == Government: Socio-Economics ==

Housing According to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, the scarcity of economical accommodation in Poland has contributed to housing difficulties for the Roma. Additionally, the undervaluing of 'traditional' skills in the Polish economy has contributed to Roma poverty. Evidence also shows the segregation of Roma children from non-Roma in schools: in 2011, 17% of Romani were reported to be enrolled in special needs schools and/or classes. Furthermore, in the Maszkowice village, Roma and non-Roma must enter schools from separate entries. Kwadrans attributes the increased allocation towards 'special needs' to a cultural and linguistic disjuncture between the Roma children and their educators. In 2020, the US State Department reported that the Polish government directed $2.88 million towards bolstering the provision of national services, such as education, to Romani people by for example, "providing school grants for Romani high school and university students". In terms of education, Romani children have lower rates of education within Poland due to a combination of reported discrimination within the education system and hesitation by Romani parents to send their children to school where the dominant culture's values are taught and upheld. == Political representation ==

There has been no inclusion of the Roma in the Polish parliament to date. As a recognised minority group in Poland, the Roma hold constitutional rights to determine their own cultural and traditional values. In 2001–2003, the Polish government implemented the "pilot government programme for the Roma community in the Malopolska province", an inchoate programme which sought to include Roma in decisions about their wellbeing, education, employment etc. Since becoming a member of the European Union in 2004, Poland has adopted several minority protection policies like the FCNM and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. == Contemporary tension ==

Evictions Roma communities in Poland are increasingly subject to forced evictions. On 22 July 2016 in Wroclaw, Poland, Amnesty International reported that while Roma people were not home, they were evicted without notice. Violence There has also been reported violence against the Roma in Poland, in 2009 an EU survey conveyed that around 28% Romanies experienced some form of violence in the last twelve months. One instance involved an attack on a Roma family by a Polish mob in Limanowa, following an incident between a Polish woman and a dog belonging to a Roma family. Ostracism Surveys reflect a sentiment of ostracism felt by the Romani people in Poland. As per interviews conducted in 2008 by the EU, 59% of Romanies feel alienated due to their ethnicity. Societal attitudes A poll conducted by CBOS in 2013 centred around the question, "How would you rate your relationship toward different nations?" which was asked to thirty-six Roma groups, the results showed that in contrast to the 13% which claimed to dislike the Czechs, 52% disliked the Roma. ==Personalities==

• Bronisława Wajs – commonly known as Papusza – female poet • Alfreda Markowska – saved Romani and Jewish children during the German occupation of Poland. • Edyta Górniak – singer, runner-up of the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 • Viki Gabor – singer, winner of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2019 ==See also==