Ciganos as a Traditional People: Romanies and the Politics of Recognition in Brazil

Abstract Within the Brazilian multicultural regime of recognition, Ciganos (Romanies) are recognised as belonging to ‘traditional peoples and communities’. The article discusses how this concept became applied to Ciganos raising questions of belonging, commonality and representation. It describes the emergence of novel ways of presenting one’s culture as distinct and even traditional among Calon Ciganos. It shows how demands to overcome invisibility, led to the creation of new spaces for dialogue with state institutions and reshaped how Calon politics are enacted. Finally, it describes the first successful case of guaranteeing Calon land rights.