San Diego University Roma Cultural Songs & Marginalized Standing Discussion

I’m working on a music discussion question and need a sample draft to help me study.

While some Roma songs reflect on love and its loss, many traditional songs lament the marginalized standing of Roma in European societies and their reputation as criminals and undesirables (think of the song on the train in Latcho Drom). In Bulgaria, women sang of their fear and this act of singing, at least the act of publicly articulating their fear, helped them cope with that fear. Is the same true of the Roma? Do you think growing up in culture with songs detailing how bad everyone thinks your people are helps more (as a coping mechanism) or hurts more (by creating poor self esteem and/or perpetuating an expectation of non-assimilation or criminality) or both? Why? Please write three to five substantive sentences, either creating your own new thread or in response to someone else’s thread.