Within nation-building projects, for hundreds of years, Roma have served as a foil for the interests of the majority elite. They are seen as outsiders, as criminals, as deviants, as parasites... And that bolsters the collective identity of the dominant nation. So what it means to be French is 'not Roma.' It's how the collective sense of 'us and them' is built up and sustained over time.

Author Aidan McGarry examines the origins and persistence of Romaphobia in Europe as an enduring political and ideological discrimination mechanism tied to the rise of the nation state, and explains how a recent movement centered around cultural pride could (slowly) push for inclusion and equal treatment for Roma people in communities across Europe.

Aidan is author of Romaphobia: The Last Acceptable Form of Racism from Zed Books / University of Chicago Press.