How do Roma and Sinti communities transform centuries of systemic bias into powerful movements for change? Anthropologist Federica Scrimieri joins the JEKHIPE project to trace the history of Italian antigypsyism and the resilient civil rights movement it sparked.
The masterclass Antigypsyism in Italy through the History of the Roma Civil Rights Movement, with anthropologist Federica Scrimieri, is produced in the framework of the project Reclaiming Our Past, Rebuilding Our Future: New Approaches to Fighting Antigypsyism (JEKHIPE).
This masterclass analyzes Italian antigypsyism from the 1920s to the present, examining the systemic violence and institutional bias that have marginalized Roma and Sinti communities. Federica Scrimieri traces the evolution of Romani resistance, from early “pioneer” networks to modern “artivists” who use digital media to challenge dominant narratives. By examining artistic production as a site of memory and political agency, the masterclass illustrates how these cultural movements complement the ongoing intergenerational fight against entrenched structural inequalities in housing, education, and the social system.
About the author
Federica Scrimieri is a professional anthropologist with a Ph.D. in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Milano-Bicocca. She has lectured at the University of Verona and is a member of the Permanent Seminar on Roma Studies at CREAa. She has worked with Roma communities since 2013, focusing on Roma civil rights in Albania and anti-Gypsyism in Italy. Her research combines anthropology, oral history, and participant observation to study activism, memory, and Roma/Sinti resistance.
This masterclass is based on a research study produced by Federica Scrimieri and developed within the JEKHIPE project. Six research fellows from Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Czechia, and Sweden were selected to produce in-depth papers documenting historical and contemporary forms of antigypsyism, Roma civil rights movements, and cultural history in their national contexts.
These papers are designed to generate new historical evidence, enrich academic and policy debate, and inform public-facing outputs. Each study is published in both the national language and English to ensure accessibility at local and European levels. Together, they form the foundation for a series of masterclasses that translate the research into accessible audiovisual formats for wider audiences.
Read the Research Paper “Antigypsyism in Italy through the History of the Roma Civil Rights Movement” Authored by Federica Scrimieri (available in English and Italian)
Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them
