d was precisely the basis for their genocide by the Nazis. 2 Another possible answer came in 1985 when White House spokesman, Linas Kojelis reportedly told a World Romani Union representative that Gypsies might receive more attention if they would be a more influential group in the United States. In 1997 President Clinton appointed Ian Hancock as a Roma representative, so far the only one. Ian Hancock wrote over 300 articles and books about Roma people, and he says that much of his philosophy concerning the Roma human rights struggle is learned from the African American experience. In 1997 he received Norway's Rafto International Human Rights Prize. He is currently a professor of Romani Studies and linguistics at the University of Texas in Austin. I am using him as one of my most important sources.
             What is even more shocking to me is that even as late as 1987, there were still anti Romani laws in the United States. Though I suspect that such laws have not been enforced for a w
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