ETHNIC IDENTITY, ASSIMILATION AND THE NOTION OF ‘HALF-ROMA’ AMONG THE ROMA IN LATVIA
ETHNIC IDENTITY, ASSIMILATION AND THE NOTION OF ‘HALF-ROMA’ AMONG THE ROMA IN LATVIA

Summary/Abstract: The article concerns changes in Latvian Roma ethnic identity over last decades. Roma traditionally perceive society in a dichotomized way (Roma and non-Roma), but in the process of assimilation a category of ‘half-Roma’ has appeared. Thus, a question arises – what is the ethnic awareness and status of “half-Roma” in Roma and non-Roma communities. The study is based on interviews recorded during author’s fieldwork. The author continues the exploration of ethnic boundaries actualised by Fredrik Barth. The focus here is on assimilated younger generation Roma living in the “ethnic borderland”. The article discusses the modes of ethnicity articulation. The author concludes that until recently the most significant exposure of ethnic belonging has been the participation in community events and communication, not the use of ethnic attributes or a traditional lifestyle. Moreover, today ethnic belonging is a choice not a restriction more than before.

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