Tsigane voices in the 1960s: The first decade of Romani activism in France (1960–1971)

Abstract

This article investigates the emergence and development of Romani activism in France during the 1960s. Its purpose is to analyse the way in which its leaders set themselves up as representatives of an ethnic community and helped to define its profiles and aspirations. Although the Romani movement clearly aimed at becoming international, this article argues that its growth during its first decade of activity was closely linked to trends and developments concerning other national phenomena, such as French anti-racism organizations and tsiganologie, a form of expert knowledge on the Tsiganes. Furthermore, this paper maintains that despite being united around common objectives, the movement’s leaders had different sensibilities and pursued different strategies within this frame of reference. They did so both to confront the experts and their paternalistic policies and to seize the opportunities provided by the anti-racist movement. These strategies are analysed through a wide range of sources, which include the publications of Romani organisations, tsiganologue circles, anti-racist organisations, as well as police reports on Tsigane leaders.