Roma Integration.
Spain.
.At last: we find an optimistic headline regarding integration of gypsies, or Roma, in housing, employment, schools at least at the lover levels. Title -- "In Spain, Gypsies Find Easier Path to Integration" -- see
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/world/europe/06gypsy.html/
Gypsies, known as "Gitano" in Spain, are enjoying higher degrees of education and employability (50%) than elsewhere. Gitano children are in elementary school, the same neighborhood schools as other children and not shunted off to facilities for the mentally handicapped, as we understand has been the case in much of Europe. Mediators at the schools help with relationship issues. The article says that over 50% of those children's parents are homeowners. About 92% are in housing that is considered "standard".
They are moving into areas of work that are not the traditional dealing in cattle or selling goods.
What did Spain do right, beginning some 30 years ago. Spain focused on housing and jobs, not so much on prejudice-correction, or civil rights. Jobs and housing first, let the rest follow, and it has. Direct "attacks" on forcing integration fail in other countries. Go to the basics.
Ongoing problems: huge dropout rate from the schools, once out of the elementary levels. Some 4% of gypsy people live in shacks. There is prejudice -- hard to get a taxi if you are in traditional gypsy dress,
for example.
Government: the constitution, a democratic one, requires police protection for gypsies. Past Gardia Civil abuses have been reduced. The policy is to provide housing among others, not just among fellow gypsies.
Can those policies work elsewhere: it takes funding for administration, and places with substantially larger gypsy populations in even more entrenched poverty may be insurmountable in the short term.
Still, the point is made in Spain: focus on housing and jobs. To aim at prejudice first is not as effective. "Acceder" is the group that facilitates improvements, and has been effective.
