"My name is Daniela. I was born in Romania; I am of Roma ethnicity. When I came to the UK in 2007, I didn’t speak English. I came via a contract for an agency, working for an English family, looking after their daughter. Within a year, I learnt English, passed the International English exam, and applied to university. I graduated in Law from Leeds Metropolitan University and began my Master’s degree at the University of Law.
The Roma community is misrepresented because there are few well-educated, articulate leaders to represent them. Are we misunderstood? Definitely. I think a lot of people are not aware that the Roma people came from India initially. The way we got to Romania is as slaves. We were slaves for 500 years, until 1864, which is not a very long time ago. If you think about it, it’s only 2 or 3 generations back. The Roma people were sold in the newspapers. You know how you sell furniture? They were selling horses alongside human beings. It was that horrendous. Many are unaware that millions of Roma people died in the Holocaust alongside Jews. We have never quite learnt how to ask for our rights, or the fact that we do have rights.
We have managed to keep our culture, however. We have very talented people when it comes to handmade artisanal objects. We are very good with music, playing instruments, dancing. We are very family-oriented and would do anything for our children.
Our history has led to a deep sense of mistrust towards institutions and organisations. We definitely haven’t been assimilated yet in the UK. We’ve only been here, practically, for about 10 years. It’s been quite difficult transition. A lot of Roma people still haven’t understood how the system works in the UK and what the expectations are.
I would strongly encourage everyone to try and learn a little bit more about our culture to get to understand us a little bit more. Before judging us, bear in mind our history and our background. We ask for patience and understanding as we adapt and learn about your culture and system."
