"Don't See Me White:" A Study of the Constructions of Roma Identity in the United States

Abstract

Roma are an ethnic minority group in Europe with growing populations in the US. This study examines how American Roma self-identify, how asylum courts identify Roma, and how both constructions of identity are in tension with one another. Based on eight semi-structured interviews with Roma, individuals self-identify either by ethnicity or nationality based on their interactions. They construct identities situated in their social contexts. Based on the contents of eight asylum cases on behalf of Roma petitioners, the courts determine a petitioner’s identity by assessing their ancestry, conformity to presumed cultural practices, and expert witnesses’ testimonies. They construct static identities constrained by the circumstances of one’s birth. Juxtaposing both research sites, I propose that the court imposes a conception of Roma identity that is at odds with the identity constructed by Roma individuals, and the scholarly disciplines not used in courts that view identity as a social construction.