Dear Branwen:
There are levels of ignorence and racism, there is the unconcious ignorence of unconcious racism and then there is the choice to be ignorant and racist the Klan exhibits. Both are harmful though the first kind is forgiveable when the ignorant become aware.
Gypsy children can cry just like your kids. My friend Wuso's kid came home from school and cried because he was made to read Madline and the Gypsies. He was too proud to cry in school and too afraid that other kids whould know he was a "durty Gypsy who kidnapped kids" like the Roma in the book. My friend Audrey, at nine came home, because work we were doing on Roma nationalism gave her the courage to amit she was a Gypsy when their was a class on ethnicity and each kid in the class told where their families came from. The teacher asked if she was a good witch or a bad whitch. That was ignorant, but it was as hurtful as if it was done with malace.
Larry