Gypsy, the indigenous in Spain

Do you still remember Esmeralda, the gypsy lady from The Hunchback of Notre Dame?

The gypsy's whereabouts are not exactly known nor their population. They arrived in Spain in the early 14th Century. At the initial stage, they were accepted in the community. However, things changed in the late 14th Century. They were driven out of their settlements and treated as an underclass. For years, they were not given any rights.

By the 19th Century, the gypsy were classified into two groups, Gitanos and Hungaros. Both groups lived in different parts of Spain and led a different way of life. The Gitanos were better-off than the Hungaros in terms of jobs. Even though the Gitanos held sedentary jobs such as street vendors and entertainers, they were well received by the Spanish society. The Hungaros on the other hand were very poor and live in nomadic lifestyle such as tents and shacks. They caused a lot of problems for the Spanish authorities as they survive through begging and stealing.

As of Today, there are still living in various parts of the world in small communities.


References : 

http://countrystudies.us/spain/41.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A839108