Historically and today, European nations have struggled with questions of ethnic identity, and migration is central to that struggle. In considering the current European crisis with migrants and refugees, we will examine how Europeans define minorities, immigrants, and human rights. The emphasis of this course will be on the Roma people in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. The course will provide students with knowledge of contemporary Romani identities, challenges, and achievements, and also with an understanding of how the Roma people emerged as the biggest and most marginalized community in Europe. We will focus on countries in Central and Eastern Europe, but offer comparisons to the situation in Western Europe and in the rest of the world. We will also examine the obstacles standing in the way of equal status for minorities in Europe.
