džulory ladžala

In my dialect, there are two words for “light-skinned Rroma”. 

Pharnavi - which means both grandmother and a “white” or “light-skinned” Rromani woman.

Themni - which means a foreign or strange woman, a non-Rromani woman, or a “white” or “light-skinned” Rromani woman.

So, even within my culture, being light-skinned is seen as ‘outside’ or ‘strange’. I refer to myself as pharnavi because I find the dual meaning more acceptable than that of themni. There are many European Rroma with fairer skin and lighter eyes and hair… I am not some random exception (the fact that we have words to describe this is telling). It does not make me less Rroma than others though.

I opened up for the first time in a group I’m a member of and was really touched by the replies I received. It made me really aware of some dynamics with the communities in the US and I understand a great deal more now. Some even expressed the same feeling I had about various groups being disconnected and the colour of skin making a huge difference.

Sometimes, kamel pe mae lačhe si…