This article examines 19th- and 20th-century Romany grave markers from northern New Jersey. It argues that these exceptional markers served as a way for members of the Romany community to signal their membership in a distinctive ethnic subculture. Since the 19th century, the Romany people, or Gypsies, have found final resting places from their long travels in the cemeteries of northern New Jersey. Unlike many other ethnic groups, the Romany are unseen to all but the most persistent observers. Aside from scattered mentions in newspaper articles of camps, horse trading, fortunetelling, and lavish funerals, they are almost invisible. In the urban cemeteries of northern New Jersey, however, magnificent memorials for “Gypsy” kings and queens provide a glimpse of the rich traditions of this distinctive subculture. Monuments of polished black and red granite ornamented with gilt lettering, etched with photographs, or adorned with enameled portraits proclaim the tenacity and pride of this often-persecuted group. Rather than marking a particular religious ideology or reflecting the position of the Romany people within the society as a whole, these markers reflect the beliefs and accomplishments of a distinctive cultural group and speak to that group’s values, even when those values diverge from those of the larger society.

本文考察了新泽西州北部 19 世纪和 20 世纪的罗姆人墓碑。它认为，这些特殊的标志是罗姆人社区成员表明他们在独特的种族亚文化中的成员身份的一种方式。自 19 世纪以来，罗姆人或吉普赛人在新泽西州北部的墓地长途旅行中找到了最后的安息之地。与许多其他族群不同，除了最坚持不懈的观察者外，所有人都看不到罗姆人。除了在营地、马匹交易、算命和豪华葬礼的报纸文章中零星地提及之外，它们几乎是隐形的。然而，在新泽西州北部的城市墓地，“吉普赛”国王和王后的宏伟纪念碑让我们得以一瞥这种独特亚文化的丰富传统。磨光的黑色和红色花岗岩纪念碑，饰有镀金字样、蚀刻照片或饰有珐琅肖像，彰显了这个经常受到迫害的群体的坚韧和自豪。这些标记不是标记特定的宗教意识形态或反映整个社会中罗姆人的地位，而是反映了一个独特文化群体的信仰和成就，并说明了该群体的价值观，即使这些价值观与该群体的价值观不同。更大的社会。