Roma/Sinti (Gypsies) during the Holocaust and in Today's World

Morgan Ahern, Founder of Lolo Diklo/Red Bandanna: Roma Against Racism – an organization with a mission to make people aware of the real lives and history of the Roma/Sinti people - spoke to a group of educators last week at the Holocaust Center. The presentation was offered for the Holocaust Center's Education Advisory Committee and as a followup for participants of the Holocaust Center's recent teacher seminar in January.

Morgan Ahern’s grandmother, Jenneroze, and her extended family lived in Europe when the Nazi party came to power. As Nazi domination spread, Jenneroze began to plan a safety route for her family. But no countries were accepting “Gypsy” refugees...

The Roma/Sinti people, “Gypsies” as they are commonly called, left their native India circa 1000. Since their arrival in Europe in the 1300s, they have faced discrimination and prejudice. In Romanes (the language spoken by Roma) the Holocaust is called Porrajmos, which means “The Great Devouring.” Approximately 60% of Europe’s Roma/Sinti were murdered under the Third Reich. Morgan will speak about her family’s experience as Roma/Sinti during the Holocaust and the continued persecution of the Roma/Sinti people both in the United States and in Europe today.

In 2008, Morgan Ahern contributed to the Holocaust Center’s series “Stories Among Us: Personal Accounts of Genocide” which was published in the Seattle Times in partnership with the Newspapers In Education (NIE) Program. Read "Morgan's Story" from the "Stories Among Us" NIE series.

For more information about the Romani people, or for a list of movies and websites please visit
The Lolo Diklo blog at http://lolodiklo.blogspot.com/.

Morgan is a member of the Holocaust Center's Speakers Bureau.