A Generational Divide? Coping With Ethnic Prejudice and Inequality Among Romanian Roma Transnational Returnees

Roma people are likely Europe’s most discriminated and marginalized minority. In the past years, increasing attention has been paid to their migration Western Europe limited social mobility in countries of destination. Our article focuses on “post‐return” experiences changes generated by return communities origin, a topic largely neglected so far. We build recent debates around post‐return positionality, asking how adult old returnees experience return. thus contribute growing literature lifecourse that distinguishes between children youth, adults, older migrants. Focusing returnees, we employ an understanding not just as means generating resources, but also learning process where population acquires new ideas sense agency dignity. Informed long‐term fieldwork ethnically mixed localities Romania (including participant observation 76 semi‐structured interviews), inquire into ethnic relations negotiations non‐Roma populations. Migration results weakening economic dependency non‐Roma. this context, which is still marred prejudice inequality, analysed local interethnic were reshaped returned Roma’s consumption practices, modes communication, claims for equality. While tend demand equality decent treatment, setting motion change, maintain more submissive practices.