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‘I'm Not a Swindler': A Campaign Against Romani Discrimination Takes Aim at the Dictionary

Categories: Western Europe, Spain, Citizen Media, Ethnicity & Race, Youth
Captura de video de Youtube

Screenshot of video on YouTube [1]

On April 8, on the occasion of the International Romani People Day, the organizations that form the Romani People Council started a campaign [2] using social networks to request the Royal Spanish Academy [3] to change the definition of the word gitano (Spanish word for gypsy) in the dictionary.

The purpose of the campaign, which is using the hashtags #YoNoSoyTrapacero and #YoNoSoyTrapacera (I'm not a swindler, in both grammatical genders), is to raise awareness of the discrimination against ethnic Romani people. The campaign video is being widely shared on social networks.

It's worth noting, though, that in the definition that appears in the Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary, the word trapacero doesn't appear, but the fourth definition [4] states “that swindles or acts with tricks”, as noted by user @MonicaEHM:

The campaign “I'm not a swindler” is a good idea, but could someone tell me where in the dictionary does the Royal Spanish Academy use that term?

I'm not a swindler.

Worth listening to these children. I'm not a swindler. Stop discrimination, even in language.