The Beginnings

Michael Ciuraru is an American Romanian Rom born and raised in NYC. Michael has had an eventful life and spent much of it trying to improve the lives of his community members while educating people about Romani culture in the United States. In 2019 Michael met Dalen Wakeley-Smith, an anthropologist and historian of English Romani descent who was working on his PhD research about New York’s Romani communities in the 20th century. Michael and Dalen became fast friends and have been working on various small projects throughout the years always hoping to create an organization which would impact the local Queens Roma and build bridges across diverse cultures. In 2020 they decided to form Rom Sam Yehk. After a hiatus due to the global COVID pandemic they are back working towards their goals: bringing Romani history, culture, and arts to the public while providing basic services such as translation, document preparation, and information about public services and programs. Our five year plan is to create a small community center based in Queens which will serve as an event space, cultural arts venue, and drop in resource center for Roma and non-Roma alike.

Our Beliefs

We believe in a world where Roma and non-Roma can meet as equals each with their own histories, traditions, and skills contributing to a more just and equitable society. We believe that non-Roma and Roma alike need opportunites to share their stories and experiences to build a better future where Roma no longer feel like “The Hidden Americans”. Some of those opportunities we seek to provide with conversations and events which feature Romani artists, muscians, and speakers in Queens, NY-one of the most diverse and vibrant places in the country.

Donations

Providing arts and cultural programming is an expensive venture in NYC. With your help we can offset the cost for bringing musicians, artists, and performance artists while providing spaces for people to meet and connections to be made. As a registered 501(c)(3) organization Rom Sam Yehk is a non-profit whose funds go back into programming and services for our local community. Your donations are tax deductable and help us continue our misson!

Become a Volunteer

You can get involved today by becoming a Volunteer. Sign up and you will be joining a small group of individuals dedicated to making positive change in the lives of New Yorkers and Roma across the globe.