A thoroughly exploitative new book has been published recently and has caused an uproar in the Roma community.
Julia Chaplin's new book GYPSET STYLE"covers contemporary art, fashiondesign, lifestyle and travel. Gypset," she explains, "is GYPSY + JET-SET. The book consists of profiles of wealthy, privileged, effete gazhe who live in exotic surroundings in exotic places around the world, the "true
Gypsies."
To give legitimacy to her book Ms. Chaplin includes a history of Roma, "although it is wholly derivative and quite inaccurate." states Professor Ian Hancock, acclaimed Roma author and teacher of Roma studies. "She includes a photograph of some French Romanies that she took, I suspect that they didn't know it would be used in a book, and that they received no compensation for it."
"To put this into prospective and help you understand our point of view, Substitute the word GYPSY with JEW or NEGRO. Would her book have been published? Would the public have accepted it? How are we expected to feel about this? " Dani Bamberger of NRADO.
The group ROMA IN AMERICAS which contains some of the Roma communities most distinguished educators, authors, activists and supporters has been coordinating letter writing campaigns and protests. "She did not reply to an e-mail from Hancock, NRADO (the National Romani Anti Discrimination Organization) or other supporters from the group Roma In Americas. Amazon.com did not print our "reader's comment" about this book and other comments we have made on various websites are being removed. This is an example of how we are treated." RIA group member.
"It's time people stopped playing at "gypsy." said Professor Ian Hancock.
REMOVED COMMENTS INCLUDE:
"Wow, for anyone looking for the modern-day Marie Antoinette Manifesto, look no further than this revolting and exploitative garbage. The "true Gypsies?" That should come as a tremendous relief to the heretofore-"true Roma" - you know, the ones whose children's lifeless bodies wash up on beaches in Italy, to be ignored by sunbathers as so much flotsam and jetsam? How about the ones who are being murdered and burned out of their homes in Hungary by nationalist, neo-Nazi thugs? No? If that doesn't ring any bills, go ahead and put on a colorful caftan and jetset around Europe, calling yourself a "Gypsy" (presumably because, like many Roma, you can't seem to hold down a job... even though in your case, it's because you choose to be idle, not because no one will hire you and you can't feed your children). I'm not an advocate of book-burning. Neither am I an advocate of burning down anyone's community."
You would not know Rom culture if it hit you in the head. Try for one second putting yourself in the shoes of the Roma and how exploitive such a book you have written would feel. Substitute the word Jew or Jewish for your questions for example: WHO'S THE ULTIMATE JEW SETTER IN YOUR EYES? SO IN SHORT, WHAT SHOULD ONE DO TO LIVE LIKE A JEWSETTER? Hmm does not sound so innocent to the ears does it. Was this the only way you could get this book published? Bring you book to the ERRC (European Roma Rights Committee) in Budapest and present it to 1000 Roma sitting in the audience and see what your response is.-Yale Strom"
Information about the book can be found at:
http://www.factio-magazine.com/profiles/detail.cfm?article_id=06084425
Julia Chaplin's new book GYPSET STYLE"covers contemporary art, fashiondesign, lifestyle and travel. Gypset," she explains, "is GYPSY + JET-SET. The book consists of profiles of wealthy, privileged, effete gazhe who live in exotic surroundings in exotic places around the world, the "true
Gypsies."
To give legitimacy to her book Ms. Chaplin includes a history of Roma, "although it is wholly derivative and quite inaccurate." states Professor Ian Hancock, acclaimed Roma author and teacher of Roma studies. "She includes a photograph of some French Romanies that she took, I suspect that they didn't know it would be used in a book, and that they received no compensation for it."
"To put this into prospective and help you understand our point of view, Substitute the word GYPSY with JEW or NEGRO. Would her book have been published? Would the public have accepted it? How are we expected to feel about this? " Dani Bamberger of NRADO.
The group ROMA IN AMERICAS which contains some of the Roma communities most distinguished educators, authors, activists and supporters has been coordinating letter writing campaigns and protests. "She did not reply to an e-mail from Hancock, NRADO (the National Romani Anti Discrimination Organization) or other supporters from the group Roma In Americas. Amazon.com did not print our "reader's comment" about this book and other comments we have made on various websites are being removed. This is an example of how we are treated." RIA group member.
"It's time people stopped playing at "gypsy." said Professor Ian Hancock.
REMOVED COMMENTS INCLUDE:
"Wow, for anyone looking for the modern-day Marie Antoinette Manifesto, look no further than this revolting and exploitative garbage. The "true Gypsies?" That should come as a tremendous relief to the heretofore-"true Roma" - you know, the ones whose children's lifeless bodies wash up on beaches in Italy, to be ignored by sunbathers as so much flotsam and jetsam? How about the ones who are being murdered and burned out of their homes in Hungary by nationalist, neo-Nazi thugs? No? If that doesn't ring any bills, go ahead and put on a colorful caftan and jetset around Europe, calling yourself a "Gypsy" (presumably because, like many Roma, you can't seem to hold down a job... even though in your case, it's because you choose to be idle, not because no one will hire you and you can't feed your children). I'm not an advocate of book-burning. Neither am I an advocate of burning down anyone's community."
You would not know Rom culture if it hit you in the head. Try for one second putting yourself in the shoes of the Roma and how exploitive such a book you have written would feel. Substitute the word Jew or Jewish for your questions for example: WHO'S THE ULTIMATE JEW SETTER IN YOUR EYES? SO IN SHORT, WHAT SHOULD ONE DO TO LIVE LIKE A JEWSETTER? Hmm does not sound so innocent to the ears does it. Was this the only way you could get this book published? Bring you book to the ERRC (European Roma Rights Committee) in Budapest and present it to 1000 Roma sitting in the audience and see what your response is.-Yale Strom"
Information about the book can be found at:
http://www.factio-magazine.com/profiles/detail.cfm?article_id=06084425
Posts
3 comments:
Wow that makes me angry! We should set up a petition against it. I can't believe people can get away with it. Well I can, but I wish they couldn't.
Te aves baxtale
Scarlett
Kudos on this article. I would like to mention that the link at the bottom,
http://www.factio-magazine.com/profiles/detail.cfm?article_id=06084425
allows comments to be posted without the need for an annoying user-registration. As such, I have posted a short comment letting the reviewing magazine know how I and the rest of the Roma community feel about her book. I encourage you all to do the same. They do not appear to be censoring posted comments, either.
Well, I hate to break it to you, but Julia Chaplin has now put two more vapid "Gypset" books since "Gypset Style." It's cringy seeing this desperate woman so -- as one Amazon reviewer put it -- "inordinately proud" of coining the term "Gypset." It's a term which she also describes now as a brand. The fact that she was contacted by Hancock, NRADO, and Roma In Americas, but willfully ignored them is because she didn't want to have to admit that her invented, catchy word wasn't so clever after all and is rife with racist implications. Without it, she'd have no brand. It's pitiful that for someone as well travelled and seemingly intelligent as Julia Chaplin hasn't any sensitivity for ethnic groups. But is it really so surprising when the subjects in her dubiously multicultural book are overwhelmingly privileged white city slickers on holiday or living faux hippie lives in predictable places like Sayulita, because they already singlehandedly ruined Tulum and Marrakech.
But I do think it's important to publicly force (if not shame) her to confront her willful and ignorance or avoidance of exploitation of the slur, because we should expect and deserve more from a writer, especially one for the NYT and other major publications. And especially because it's now become a mainstream, aspirational word that further detracts from the attention and plight of the Roma community. Sadly, petitions are useless these days and easy enough to ignore. You should actually show up to protest at her next high-profile event, which are always covered by the press, and confront her in front of her guests who just don't know any better, and let them all know that she has already been contacted and asked to stop exploiting and perpetuating use of "Gypsy," no matter how much she ambiguates it. Or protest in front of her home or the Assouline offices, which publish her repugnant white-privilege "lifestyle" books, and make sure the cameras are rolling.
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