Gypsies are called hungaros instead of gitanos in Mexico because the first large group of gypsies arrived
here from Hungary.
Gypsies began their westward migration out of India around 1000 AD possibly because of tribal mercenary
commitments. Like many other migrant ethnic groups they faced discrimination, including 500 years of slavery
in Romania and extermination in Nazi Germany and lately ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.
Although the Gypsies call themselves Roma, their commonly used name derives from Egypt, actually Little
Egypt, which is what the Spaniards called the Balkan states in the Mediterranean. They usually speak the
local language as well as their tribal dialects, practice Christian religions about as well as Mexican
campesinos and their hidden heathen idols, probably hold Mexican Voter registration cards and are
stereotyped as fortunetellers and swindlers just like in the USA. Their nomadism is legendary and
commemorated in operas (Carmen), movies, and folktales mothers use to scare their children.
Their first appearance in the Americas began with several Gypsy companions of Columbus, and continued in
waves of immigration to countries like Brazil in 1570, the US, (more than 1 million by now) and also Mexico.
During the French escapade in Mexico, the allied Austrian emperor exported numerous Gypsies to Mexico to
help the French war effort. In the early 1890´s another large tribe mostly from Hungary arrived intent on
settlement. A few years later a second group of different gypsies, known as Ludar, arrived intending to
cross the US border but apparently preferred the Mexican climate.
By 1993 an estimate placed 53,000 hungaros in Mexico mostly in Mexico City and Guadalajara. Zapoapan in
Jalisco seems to be their largest community with upward of 50 families living there.
In 2001, the Ludar tribe of Gypsies published its memoirs, available on the internet, La lumea de noi.
Memoria de los ludar de México.
Hungaros discovered Catemaco and Los Tuxtlas in the early 1990's. Other Mexican tourist communities also
have influxes of panhandling hungaros (mostly women) and practice the same alarmist counter tactics as
Catemaco has tried various times to evict them.
Considering the Catemaco brujo (wizard) reputation, I think it´s kind of nice to see troops of hungaras
(women Gypsies) in their long colorful beachwear (or maybe that is traditional costume) accosting tourists
on the Malecon to read their palms and peddle chintzy good luck amulets. After all, you never see an
identifiable Catemaco brujo walking down the street casting spells..
here from Hungary.
Gypsies began their westward migration out of India around 1000 AD possibly because of tribal mercenary
commitments. Like many other migrant ethnic groups they faced discrimination, including 500 years of slavery
in Romania and extermination in Nazi Germany and lately ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.
Although the Gypsies call themselves Roma, their commonly used name derives from Egypt, actually Little
Egypt, which is what the Spaniards called the Balkan states in the Mediterranean. They usually speak the
local language as well as their tribal dialects, practice Christian religions about as well as Mexican
campesinos and their hidden heathen idols, probably hold Mexican Voter registration cards and are
stereotyped as fortunetellers and swindlers just like in the USA. Their nomadism is legendary and
commemorated in operas (Carmen), movies, and folktales mothers use to scare their children.
Their first appearance in the Americas began with several Gypsy companions of Columbus, and continued in
waves of immigration to countries like Brazil in 1570, the US, (more than 1 million by now) and also Mexico.
During the French escapade in Mexico, the allied Austrian emperor exported numerous Gypsies to Mexico to
help the French war effort. In the early 1890´s another large tribe mostly from Hungary arrived intent on
settlement. A few years later a second group of different gypsies, known as Ludar, arrived intending to
cross the US border but apparently preferred the Mexican climate.
By 1993 an estimate placed 53,000 hungaros in Mexico mostly in Mexico City and Guadalajara. Zapoapan in
Jalisco seems to be their largest community with upward of 50 families living there.
In 2001, the Ludar tribe of Gypsies published its memoirs, available on the internet, La lumea de noi.
Memoria de los ludar de México.
Hungaros discovered Catemaco and Los Tuxtlas in the early 1990's. Other Mexican tourist communities also
have influxes of panhandling hungaros (mostly women) and practice the same alarmist counter tactics as
Catemaco has tried various times to evict them.
Considering the Catemaco brujo (wizard) reputation, I think it´s kind of nice to see troops of hungaras
(women Gypsies) in their long colorful beachwear (or maybe that is traditional costume) accosting tourists
on the Malecon to read their palms and peddle chintzy good luck amulets. After all, you never see an
identifiable Catemaco brujo walking down the street casting spells..
Text: borrowed from http://www.noticias-oax.com.mx/enviar.php?type=2&id=1976
Peoples of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz
Hungaros
Hungaros
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