Siletz News, 2007-2017
We acknowledge that materials in SCARC collections and the language that describes them may be harmful. We are actively working to address our descriptive practices; for more information please see our SCARC Anti-Racist Actions Statement online. SCARC describes the contents of its collections using the language and terminology of the collections themselves. Since culturally acceptable terminology shifts over time, some of the terms that appear in these materials are currently outdated or offensive.
The term “gypsy” appears in this collection and is considered derogatory by many Roma people. It comes from the word “Egyptian,” where many Europeans mistakenly believed the Romani came from. In 1971, at the First World Roma Congress, a majority of attendees voted to reject the use of the term “gypsy,” however some still use it to self-identify.
In the U.S., “gypsy” has also come to signify a free-spirited person, or someone who moves from one place to another without settling down. This use references the traditional migratory lifestyle historically practiced by Roma. In this collection, “gypsy” is used in this manner. There are no references to this term in the finding aid, but it does appear in materials that have been scanned and uploaded to Oregon Digital.
In order to provide historical context and to enable standardized searching and access across our collections, we have retained the original wording. We acknowledge the racism represented by the term “gypsy” and the harm it may cause our users. Providing access to these historical materials does not endorse any attitudes or behavior depicted therein. For more information, please see our blog post.
[Date of Acknowledgement: November 2024]