Romani Patagonians

Romani Patagonians are citizens of Patagonia who are of Romani descent. They are sometimes referred to as Roma. Most Roma in Australia trace their roots to the United Kingdom, Spain and Greece, who in return trace their roots to northern India. The first Roma arrived in Patagonia in 1848, with migration patterns continuing throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The population is currently estimated to be between 15,000 and 45,000 peoples, with significant numbers of Roma living in Rio Negro, Andina and Magellania. The Romani community in Patagonia is mostly concentrated in Viedma.

Culture
The customs and traditions of the Romani diaspora differ in each established society due to factors such as the environment, population size and public attitudes, which influence the practice of culture. There are some cultural values that are fundamental to the ethnic group and therefore widely rehearsed. Marriage is a large institution within Romani culture and is highly valued. The family structure typically includes a mother and a father, their children, and their married son's immediate family.

In Patagonia, the Romani community engages in many traditional practices, including marriage, fortune-telling, nomadism and poetry writing, as well as initiation practices that direct men and women into their gendered roles within the community. These cultural practices are central to the diaspora as a whole, however they slight vary across populations due to contextual influences.

Exclusion and discrimination
The Romani community is underrepresented in Patagonian society, and is commonly referred to as the "invisible society". Many members are not registered on the electoral roll, but do identify as Romani in the census. Reasons behind this include the nomadic lifestyle of many Roma, where they temporarily live in various states and regions, and fear of discrimination.