- Palmira Dual Jiménez is a woman who breaks stereotypes. She is a 26-year-old Iraqi Basque and Gypsy girl. In his career in journalism for seventeen years, the first gypsy interviewed by this journalist, whose recognition also gives shame. Let us not deny that we are all racists and also gypsies. Dual works at Kera to clean up our prejudices. Without forgetting the origin, customs and culture of the Roma people, believes in inclusion, in real coexistence.
Kera has Basque. “Kera”
means house in romintxel. Or I meant, because they made it disappear. Rominchel was a language between the Basque and the Romanesque, and today it is completely lost. The gypsies and gypsies of Euskal Herria, who are alive, know only single words.
Because the Roma are also Basque. No doubt. It's been hundreds of years since we arrived in Euskal Herria. Unfortunately we are few, or at least many, but more and more of us speak Basque in our daily lives. I am Irundar, I have taken root in Irun, and I also know what language is and be part of a crushed people, both Gypsy and Basque. Fortunately, Euskera has
not been lost, but many of the Roma dialects have disappeared forever. For me, being able to answer your questions in Basque is very special.
This is the first time I have interviewed a Roma. How many Gitofobias still… Many. It's always too much. In
Euskal Herria it is still very evident, it is evident, and the gypsies carry a backpack with a lot of weight on the back.
I believe in an inclusive society model, and I think we have taken steps along that path. The Gypsy wants it to be respected, like everyone else. However, in this capitalist system we know that the challenge is very difficult. But here we are, and like many other issues, I think from education you can do a lot of work. When you learn history, or talk about other peoples, why never talk about the Roma people? When they celebrate the days of different cultures, why not talk about us too? That's what we work on in Kera.
They are defined as the home of gypsy women and the feminist association. Gypsy, female and feminist, all three of us combine them at all times. We organized at the level of Gipuzkoa. We want it to
be a comfortable space for Roma women, to empower themselves together, to reflect, to create our references, to draw our history… And without being a feminist it would not make sense. Furthermore, when we talk about feminism, it is clear that feminism must be anti-razistic, because otherwise it does not serve us, neither us nor racist women. Moreover, I believe that it does not benefit the white Basque woman either. We have to row in the same direction, all together.
"When you learn history, or talk about other peoples, why never talk about the Roma people?"
Among other things, every autumn you organize a meeting of the Roma people in the Basque Country. They are known in the Spanish state. In
Bilbao and San Sebastian, we join many Spanish Gypsy women’s associations, especially to make available to the young Gypsies referred to here. In fact, the young gypsy woman often believes she cannot dream. Be born, go to school and get married in a few years and be a mother, of course. Children also have more than one; and care, of course, about women. That's the scheme we have to break, and that's where we are. There are many Roma women who have an excellent job and who are succeeding in making their professional lives. We give them a voice so that young people know it too.
Woman, gypsy, young, precarious… It can be
very difficult to advance if you are all suffering at once. We open our eyes. Many women, but there really are many in this situation.
"The young Gypsy often believes she cannot dream. Be born, go to school for a few years, get married and become a mother immediately"
Are young Roma women taking the right to dream? Yes, there are
still those who are against, but more and more are willing to shake.
My mother has always wanted to play the piano, but she stayed in a dream. Dreaming about the Roma is very difficult, not to mention the Roma. Most believe that we were born without rights by gypsies and women.
Her mother dreams of playing the piano. What do you dream of? I started studying as a nursing assistant, but I wasn't comfortable and I changed it. Especially then I started looking at the Roma. I remember when I was in high school,
a Roma woman was dedicated to helping the Gypsies and thought, “I want to do it.” That was a dream, and why not approach it? I started doing little work at the Kale dor Kayiko association, and today I do, I think I'm fulfilling my dream.
Non-inclusion
"Integration leads to assimilation and inclusion respect. Everyone needs the right and freedom to live freely their culture, without beating anyone's culture. But without anyone asking for his.” Dual faces everyday life. She is the only woman who has studied at home. Knowing where the Roma come from and what happened to the Roma people is essential. And in that, he acts both professionally and voluntarily. “For centuries they have uncovered that the Roma people are bad, dark and inhumane, but we are here, we have kept it.” Fortunately, it confirms that the situation is changing with a small laugh.