Why Travellers have a right to ethnic status

John Waters in The Irish Times (May 21st) states: "To place Travellers in the `racism' equation is a mistake to begin with as Travellers are not an ethnic group".

This denial of Traveller ethnicity has been a common feature of people who wish, at best, to justify the failure to address the distinct cultural needs of Travellers and, at worst, to seek to justify the hostility towards Travellers.

John Waters, in the same article, falls into the latter camp as he makes no effort to understand the complex realities that lead to tensions between Travellers and the settled community. He implies that the levels of hostility towards Travellers are justifiable.

The recognition of Traveller ethnicity is important because following from that recognition is the protection in law given to ethnic groups and the right of the ethnic group to have its distinct culture and identity protected.

What evidence does John Waters give for his assertion that Travellers are not an ethnic group? None. What definition of ethnicity is he working with? What does John Waters know that wasn't available to the Central London Court which, in a landmark judgement last August, concluded: "Irish Travellers may be properly identified as an ethnic minority". Identifying Travellers as an ethnic minority in no way denies Travellers their Irishness.

John Waters is not alone in not understanding ethnicity. It is not a subject that has been dealt with adequately in our schooling. But not many are in the privileged position that he is in to have his opinions published in a national newspaper.

Ethnicity is a way of categorising people on the basis of self-identity and ascription by others. An ethnic group is understood to share a common ancestry, culture, history, tradition and sense of belonging and is a political and economic interest group.

Travellers are a community of people who are identified (both by themselves and others) as people with a shared history, culture and traditions, of which nomadism is an important part. This reality is why Travellers are an ethnic group.

Correctly identifying the type of discrimination experienced by people is an important first step towards adequately addressing that discrimination. People are willing to acknowledge that Travellers experience prejudice and discrimination. However, there is a persistent denial that the treatment of Travellers is racist.

Racism is defined by UNESCO as "any theory involving the claim that racial or ethnic groups are inherently superior or inferior, thus implying that some would be entitled to dominate or eliminate others who would be inferior; or which places a value judgement on racial differentiation".

THE belief that the "sedentary" way of life is superior to the Traveller way of life has been central to the responses to the needs of Travellers over the past 30 years. This has resulted in the problems faced by Travellers today, with all the negative consequences that has for Travellers, as well as the inevitable conflict with the settled community.

Recognising that response as racist is consistent with the UNESCO definition. Being keenly aware of the nature of racism, our potential to be racist, and being committed to being anti-racist is not a failing but offers the possibility of building a new and better future for all concerned.

Irish people deny the existence of racism, as is common in most countries, thus seeing racism in the distance while refusing to acknowledge it at home or in themselves. John Waters takes the denial a stage further, and goes on to assert that the hostility experienced by Travellers is justified and that "many of those who object to Travellers can point to evidence for their objections".

Such a bald statement can have very negative consequences for Travellers and is not based on fact. An independent survey commissioned by Citizen Traveller on attitudes to Travellers and minority groups, highlights that three-quarters of people surveyed did not know any Travellers at all, yet 42 per cent were unfavourably disposed towards them.

Clearly the hostility to Travellers is not only based on evidence but is shaped by many factors, including articles such as the one by John Waters. Traveller organisations do recognise the frustration for sections of the settled community caused by the failure to provide adequate camping places. We ask that the frustration of Travellers be also recognised and that appropriate solutions be found for all concerned.

The article denies that racism is a major issue in Ireland. It also demonstrates how little racism is understood. Racism at a global level is such a problem that the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights is co-ordinating a world conference on racism in South Africa later this year.

Thomas McCann and Fintan Farrell work with the Irish Traveller Movement