Source: Patrin Web Journal

I received an email from a Rom in Spain that gave me the idea to write a little about where the Roma come from. I’ll dedicate at least this blog to giving a brief history of the Roma. This history is, after all, shared by the Roma of Mexico.

While it is estimated that they migrated out of northern India as early as the eleventh century, it is also emphasized by many scholars that the migration patterns are actually quite complex and made up of several major diaspora, meaning major migrations from the homeland throughout the world. After this initial diaspora out of India, it is believed that there were several more minor migrations.

The second great diaspora occurred out of southwest Asia into and throughout Europe around the 14th century. The third wave of migration occurred around the time when slavery of the Roma was brought to an end in Europe, toward the latter part of the 19th century.

These early migration patterns have been traced, for the most part, through linguistic patterns. This has left much to speculation. Even when ethnocultural groups that resemble modern day Roma emerge in historical documents and literature, there are incongruities and doubts.

Even today it is difficult to trace many Romani groups because they do not outwardly acknowledge that they are Roma for a host of social and political reasons. This is even more difficult in Mexico because of the loss of official documents during the Revolution.

There has been another strong movement of Latin American Roma from South America up to Central America and into North America. Many of the Roma were bound for the United States and ended up making their home in Mexico. The same happened with many Romani groups coming from Europe.

In Garnachilandia, they speak of the Greeks, a group from Hungary and a group from South America. It is hard to trace these roots with any accuracy though.