Indian Origins

• According to anecdotal, linguistic and genetic sources, the Romani people are believed to have their origins in northwest India. Those referred to as Gypsies were first observed in central Europe during the 14th or 15th centuries.
  
  

Origins of the Gypsy

• Mistakenly identified as Egyptians, and allegedly encouraged in this erroneous belief by the Romani people themselves, Gypsy is a reference to Egypt. In the U.S., gypsy is generally used to describe any nomadic lifestyle, Romani or otherwise.
  
  

Irish Travelers

• The conditions that led the Irish Travelers to adopt a nomadic lifestyle remain subject to speculation. Considered to be an ethnic group in the United Kingdom, Travelers in the U.S. and Ireland are classified as a social group, despite their distinct language and customs.
  
  

Conflicts

• The histories of nomadic peoples are chiefly histories of their persecution by sedentary populations The Romani gypsies were enslaved upon their arrival in Europe, survived various genocide attempts and forced sterilizations, and continue to face discrimination. Irish Travelers tend to suffer from a lack of access to health care and conflicts over land use.
  
  

"New Age" Travelers

• An offshoot of the free music festivals and hippie subculture of the 1960s who traveled from festival to festival in caravans, "New Age" travelers drew world-wide attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s due to conflicts with authorities in the U.K. In 1994, legislation was adopted that effectively criminalized the "New Age" traveler lifestyle, prompting many of these voluntary nomads to leave the U.K.