Perception: Roma are lazy, unskilled workers and the products of their craftsmanship are of low quality. They practice outdated trades and remain unwilling to integrate into the mainstream job market.

Reality: Craftsmanship has been a time-honored tradition within the Roma community with many Roma surnames representing trades such as woodworking and blacksmithing. Today, craftsmanship continues to be practiced, though it is often in a more modern fashion. Many Roma adjust their traditional skill sets to meet the competitive market demand. Blacksmiths, for example, have adapted to making contemporary furniture. However, institutional and societal discrimination against Roma within the marketplace can create barriers to entry.

Asim Bajrić (56),
Woodworker and Craftsman

“I am the only one in my village who finished school for woodworking. I always joke that I got a degree from two schools: the “School of Oak” and the “School of Beech”. Before the war, I worked in the wood industry, which was a highly valued industry throughout the former Yugoslavia. During the war, I had to dig trenches and I constantly wondered when the conflict would end so that I could return to building specialized tools and working with wood once again. I’ve been doing this work for almost 25 years now. My neighbors who are Croats, Serbs, and Muslims all buy my tools without any regard to my religion or nationality—because everyone needs tools to work. I would never give up my tools or my knowledge of how to craft them. No tools, no craftsmanship! I have two sons and I have taught them my trade. When I die, my sons will be the only ones in the village who are trained in this profession and who know how to make such specialized tools. With this knowledge, they can continue on to train their own children and others who are interested in this craft. Neither the society nor the state will provide us with any kind of support. For us—the Roma people—the best way is to find work on our own. With my own hands, I can make enough to feed my family. Sometimes, I also manage to teach someone else my skills and to transfer my knowledge to others.”