American Gypsies: strangers in everybody's land

American Gypsy: A Stranger in Everybody's Land

Jasmine Dellal's 1999 motion picture American Gypsy: A Stranger in Everybody's Land deals with gypsy or ROM ethnic values, with the way that the contemporary society understands gypsies, and with trying to change people's generally biased perspective in regard to this ethnicity. The U.S. is not necessarily one of the first places that people relate to when they hear the word gypsy, especially given that this ethnic group is recognized for its itinerant character. As a result of seeing this film, most people are likely to realize that they knew little to nothing in regard to gypsies and even less about gypsies living in the U.S. However, one cannot exactly say that the motion picture sheds light on these topics, as it actually makes matters even more confusing.

In spite of the fact that the film was shot in the late twentieth century, one is able to see how gypsies in the U.S. live and how they are generally seen by the American community. Gypsies are typically persecuted as a result of their cultural values and as a result of the fact that people generally promote stereotypes in regard to this particular ethnicity. Prejudice is practically taken to a whole new level when considering the way that the masses in the U.S. behave when they come across a Rom person. The reason for which people are relatively unacquainted with the situation of gypsies living in the U.S. is owed to the community's tendency to maintain secrecy in regard to themselves.

American Gypsy: A Stranger in Everybody's Land is meant to present people with information concerning gypsies and how they deal with factors like globalization, family, and the struggle to survive in a society that is generally inclined to associate the with stereotypical images promoted by Hollywoodian accounts. Gypsies in this movie are deeply affected by globalization: they eat from McDonalds, drive Cadillac cars, and do their best to be assimilated. Concomitantly, they do their best in order to stay together, as they put across great determination to maintain family ties.

2. In seeing this movie for the first time, people are probable to expect a film about daring thieves, people who drive aimlessly with no regard to their past or to their future, and individuals who are generally indifferent to what goes on in the surrounding environment. First-time viewers are in for a shock, however. Watching the Marks family as it uses non-traditional devices with the purpose of being accepted in a liberal society is what this film is about. In spite of the fact that these people did their best in order to remain independent, they were forced to adapt to the American way of life as a result of the fact that they were subjected to dehumanizing persecutions mainly performed on account of their ethnicity.

When taking into account the fact that the gypsies in the film managed to maintain their traditions, it becomes obvious that they one of the most essential values in their lives is their culture. In spite of the fact that they manage to be assimilated through the fact that they employ a behavior similar to the people neighboring them, gypsies manage to keep their personal identity. Core anthropologic concepts such as culture and society can thus easily apply to gypsies in the state of Washington. While gypsies are generally hesitant about sharing their problems with the world (and thus making it difficult for the general public to understand them), Jimmy Marks demonstrates that they too can be an active part of society and that they are willing to ask for their rights if the situation arises.

3. People in the U.S. are generally accustomed to living in a multicultural environment, as numerous individuals in the country have immigrated here or are descendants of immigrants. Throughout American Gypsy: A Stranger in Everybody's Land, viewers are able to observe the fact that matters are different when considering gypsies.

Gypsies are appealing principally because of the way they regard life and because they are generally reluctant to abandon their traditional lifestyle. While it would be impossible for an individual to claim that he or she lives in accordance with their cultural values without being exposed to society's general values, gypsies are probably among some of the most independent ethnic groups in the world.

Gypsies are practically one of the main reasons for which I am certain that people will always be able to cling onto their cultural values. I considered that globalization makes it increasingly difficult and even impossible for individuals to preserve their cultural identity.