Wikipedia defines Roma as “among the best known ethnic groups that appear in literature and folklore, and are often referred to as Gypsies, [both terms] that are sometimes considered pejorative”. This systemic disproval of an ethnic group is based on decades of stigmas, stereotypes, and misinformation.

The Princeton Dictionary defines Roma as “a member of a people with dark skin and hair who speak Romany and who traditionally live by seasonal work and fortunetelling”. This definition is racist, factually incorrect, out of date, and out of touch. The Oxford English Dictionary doesn’t have a definition for Roma at all. There needs to be a strong and sustained effort to change the hearts of minds of Europeans for the Romani people to achieve any long term significant improvement in their plight.

An important step in the Roma acquiring the rights and respect they deserve will be to change the meaning of Roma from a word of disrespect to one of admiration for a people with a long and noble heritage and rich cultural traditions. If we can change the definition of Roma to a positive one, maybe we can start to change their political, economical, and social position.