I remember that last year Secretary Clinton published remarks on this day. Everybody my age, who grew up in or near the city where I now live, remembers the Roma either camping near the river or living in store fronts on the street next to the river. My mother, who was Hungarian, regularly stopped by one store run by a couple who sold antiques and other odds and ends. Mom was actually quite good at bargaining with them. We stopped there every single time we came to town. I do not remember, however, one single item she bought from them. Many of my contemporaries remember being taught to fear these people, whom we then called "gypsies." I never feared them. My mom taught me differently. She taught me to respect them.
Here are Secretary Clinton's remarks along with a fact sheet from the State Department.
International Roma Day
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of StateWashington, DCApril 8, 2010
On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I offer warm wishes to all Roma as they mark International Roma Day. This is an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions of Roma to the historical and cultural development of Europe. Romani influences on the fields of music, theater, literature, and dance have added to the richness of European culture, from the music of Brahms to the novels of Cervantes. Today we also remember and honor the brave acts of resistance by Romani men and women who refused to remain silent in the face of extermination by the Nazi regime.
Most importantly, International Roma Day is an opportunity to call attention to the challenges that continue to face Europe’s ten million Roma. Protecting and promoting the human rights of Roma everywhere has long been a personal commitment for me, and under the Obama Administration it is a priority of the United States. Like all citizens, Roma should have the opportunity to live free from discrimination, enjoy equal access to education, healthcare and employment, and pursue their full God-given potential.
Through a range of initiatives, including development assistance, international visitor programs, and constructive interaction between law enforcement and minority communities, the United States is working with our partners to make respect for the rights of Roma the norm across Europe. Working with governments, international organizations, civil society groups, and individual citizens, we seek to help Roma chart their own destinies, with opportunity, dignity and prosperity.
United States Assistance For Roma Issues
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
April 8, 2010The United States has committed to a variety of tools in promoting the success of Roma.
One such tool is development assistance, and we currently undertake Roma-focused programs across Central and Eastern Europe.
* For example, our Roma education program in Macedonia provides preschool education for 250 children each year and has provided tutoring and out-of-school support to 1,500 primary school students. So far, 95 percent of these students have remained in school.
* In Slovakia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, and Serbia, we provide Romani communities and leaders with training to help them more effectively take part in elections and political processes.
* This summer, we will be launching a new initiative to provide Roma with better access to legal services in Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Serbia.
Another way we work to promote Roma rights is through international visitor programs, which have provided Roma from across Europe opportunities to visit and study in the U.S. to gain a firsthand view of how the rights of every individual can be ensured both in law and in practice.
* Recent programs have focused on social, political and economic empowerment for Roma from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania.
* In August, we welcomed 24 Romani high school students for a month-long exchange emphasizing self-respect, community development and minority advocacy, and we will soon be embarking on a similar exchange for Romani political leaders from countries including Italy and Slovakia.
One further aspect of promoting Roma rights is helping to facilitate constructive interaction between law enforcement and minority communities.
· At the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, we provide training and assistance to police to help them more effectively investigate and prosecute crimes against Roma.
· Following a string of unsolved killings of Roma in Hungary last year, the Hungarian government asked for investigative support from the F.B.I., which we were pleased to provide.
The U.S. Government stands ready to explore similar forms of assistance to governments in the future.
Further information on U.S. efforts to assist Roma can be found on the State Department’s website at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/hr/race/index.htm.
