Romani Studies in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

Brazilian scholars of Romani studies have not generally engaged with the field’s development in other Latin American countries and the Caribbean (LAC). To stimulate such an exchange and give this emerging continental scholarship the visibility it deserves, this article provides an introduction to Romani studies in the region. The first part of the article presents the results of a survey we conducted among scholars in 2021, which identified main themes and concerns in LAC Romani studies. The second section provides a portrait of the field in the three LAC countries aside from Brazil where the activity in the field has been the highest: Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico. It introduces each country’s main authors, areas of inquiry, and key publications. In the third section, we argue that LAC Romani studies is an emergent field of inquiry shaped by its own questions and concerns. It challenges the Europe-centric understanding of the Romani diaspora that dominates the field internationally and calls for an exploration of Romani experiences alongside other communities.