For centuries, the Roma in Spain have navigated a landscape of institutionalized exclusion. The masterclass Anti-Gypsyism, Resistance, and Cultural Memory: A Critical Perspective from Spain, with Fernando Ruiz Molina, uncovers the hidden threads of this history: the laws that criminalized an identity, the repression of the Franco era, and the quiet persistence of inequality today.
However, the story of the Roma is not just one of victimhood, it is one of fierce political and cultural resistance. Fernando Ruiz Molina explores the transformative power of the post-1978 associative movement and the revolutionary leadership of Roma women. Explore why true reconciliation in Spain can only begin when we acknowledge the truth of its structural antigypsyism.
About the author
Fernando Ruiz Molina is a Ph.D. Candidate in Criminology at the University of Plymouth, funded by a Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowship. A human rights lawyer by training, he has over 14 years of experience in Roma activism at local, national, and international levels. He worked at OSCE/ODIHR on Roma and Sinti issues and currently presides over CHANIPEN: Research, Memory and Justice, a Roma organization in Spain. His work focuses on hate perpetration against Roma and developing theoretical frameworks for anti-Roma racism.
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 “Anti-Gypsyism, Resistance, and Cultural Memory: A Critical Perspective from Spain” Authored by Fernando Ruiz Molina (available in English and Spanish)
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
