Miche,

"Could one go so far to say that the majority of gitanos live and function as any other Spaniard still maintaining their gitano culture? I think so."

If you're indeed talking about Spanish gypsies and not gypsies from anywhere else, my answer is, I wouldn't be so sure. As Fernando said, I still have to meet a gitano in a school, college, or work environment, in 32 years, I've only been in contact with them as visitors in hospitals, once at a police station, once a looong time ago when a small child spit on me in the street for no reason at all , once my mum was called "culo-pepino'(cucumber-ass) when she wouldn't have her fortune told by a gypsy woman in the street (it was hilarious!), when I go to the bar Cardamomo in the Santa Ana area, once recently when my Dutch boss and I were violently cursed by one while trying to bargain the buy of some football game tickets at the Santiago Bernabeu entrance (and I had to translate!); everyday I pass the Carrera de San Jerónimo from Plaza de Canalejas to Puerta del Sol and are able to see the group of gypsy women that mug people in plain view and using all sorts of tricks; or during the San Isidro festivities at some 'verbenas'(street dances), and believe me, if you had seen them the way I have (and you were Spanish or lived here maybe, that I don't know) you'd be able to tell, they are positively gitanos. Besides, they are proud people, so even if they didn't “look like gitanos”, if you actually met one and became their friend or acquaintance, they'd tell you soon enough, why shouldn't they?

I do not think Shawn's, Fernando's or my opinion is necessarily a negative one towards them, we're just stating and sharing our experiences. Their culture has some very good, even enviable parts to it, such as their extreme respect for the elderly, or their immense love of family unity. Even the fact that they are so adamantly reluctant to alter their traditions, values and general lifestyle is worth admiring, in these fast-moving times, if only some aspects weren't so negative, such as the blatant machismo. You seem to think this is an ethnic group that is very much "mingled" with everyone else in this society, but the truth is, it's not. Maybe this sounds bad to you, but things are not always how we'd want them to be. Sure there are some educated members of the gitano community that want what's wrong with their society to change, and specially call for openness, great for them! (about time!), but that's not the majority; there are also still some that totally forbid their sons and daughters, specially daughters, to date/marry "payos', luckily, they don't claim they'd “kill them first” anymore.