Writing historiography and entering the anthropological field while being a Roma historian in the times of Covid-19

Abstract

The colonial difference within academic institutions and their researchers affects not only the way in which Romani people are analyzed as an object of study but also the legitimacy accorded to Romani researchers working on their own community. Historical research on the recent past through oral sources during the context of the Covid-19 global health crisis has brought to the table the value of Roma historians in examining the Roma themselves. This article aims to establish a relationship between the internal coloniality that affects the academy and the methodological possibilities that the Roma researcher has in relation to the rest. The result is a colonial critique of the narratives of power reflected in the procedures placing and signifying the Roma historian at the core of the issue.