Roma

About

The fate of the Roma and Sinti (Gypsy) people continues to be a hugely divisive topic across Europe. Substandard housing, special schools, huge unemployment, massive discrimination, hate crimes and murders of Roma and Sinti because of their ethnicity contrast with the widespread conviction that Roma and Sinti are lazy thieves refusing to work, and that their squalid housing and enormous poverty is solely their own fault.

As a foreigner in Europe Samuel Gray sees massive discrimination and hate crime that is absolutely shocking in a so-called enlightened continent, and for him the level of intolerance towards Roma - in countries that should have learnt enough lessons from history - is terrifying.

The accordion is heavily used in 'Gypsy' music, and Austria - where Samuel lives - is full of talented travelling Gypsy musicians. Roma is Samuel's expression of solidarity both with those - largely ignored - musicians and with an ethnic group that, in his opinion, is still treated as sub-human.