Hi Morticia:
The first question is Travellers here in the US, or in Ireland or England. I have worked with Pavees in the US, and Vlax Roma. The standards used to judge the "norms" of a home in the US are completely and fully inapropriate to Vlax culture. The family courts in the US refuse to understand (so far as almost NO child custody cases have come to the family courts here, they go to the Romani Kris) - as I was saying, refuse to look at the scholarly evidence that the grandparents are an important funcitonal part of the child rearing equation. Now, I hope, as things proceed, things will change. BUT, I am not opporating on steriotypes, I have lectured at the Columbia Graduate School of Social Work, as a guest, BECAUSE some social workers acknowlege that their education does not include understanding of the complete separatness of "Gypsy" life. A quote from a leading sociolgist on the subject, who I wont name with out asking her... (I will ask, in the next few days...) is "as social scientists we are supposed to approach other cultures with care, that seems to go out the window when social workers are deeling with Roma."
You seem to be approaching things with the right spirit, and I would actualy like to see greater partnership with Romani governmental institutions (very complex and formal among Vlax Roma) to someday see real schooling for American Roma. But in order to get there, I believe we need the degree of formal recognition now extended to American natives.
Devlessa,
Larry