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After six centuries in Spain, discrimination against the Roma people remains "rooted in stereotypes based on ignorance and, in some cases, pseudo-knowledge about this community," explains Juan Jarque Jarque, who advocates for an inclusive education system that respects diverse values as a way to end antigypsyism and encourage greater Roma participation in community life.

"The image society has today," he argues, "is practically the same as the one recorded and published by Sebastián de Covarrubias in 1611 and by the Royal Spanish Academy in its Diccionario de Autoridades in 1734, which described Roma as lost souls, vagabonds, tricksters, and thieves."

These stereotypes have been repeated in the Academy's twenty-three editions since 1780, although the latest online version of the 23rd edition modified the entry for "trapacero" [trickster], acknowledging that the term was "offensive or discriminatory."

The researcher, who has recently earned a doctorate, explains why some of these stereotypes are inaccurate, such as the notion of a nomadic lifestyle. He notes that Roma migrations were mostly due to wars (refugees and displaced people), economic reasons (migrants), or religious pilgrimages within Europe. In fact, data from the Fundación Secretariado Gitano in 1978 showed that the number of nomadic Roma in Spain did not exceed 5%.

Jarque emphasizes that "while Roma and mainstream society share cultural spaces, it is essential to recognize that Spain's Roma population is heterogeneous and diverse." Historically, this diversity was reflected in the way authorities classified individuals as Roma, often basing it on lifestyle or social behavior rather than ethnicity itself.

To overcome both antigypsyism in Spanish society and Roma disengagement from it, Jarque proposes an education system that weaves Roma history into Spain's national narrative while also protecting each community's cultural identity. This way, different groups can preserve their traditions yet share the same cultural, political and social space.

At the same time, he suggests that Spanish Roma must also work to overcome disengagement from social norms and values, and increase participation in political and civic life (voter turnout is low, and representation in political parties is almost nonexistent). He welcomes initiatives led by the Fundación Secretariado Gitano to challenge negative stereotypes, as well as the growing number of mixed marriages, which often encourage longer engagement with formal education.

Despite the challenges, the current National Strategy for Equality, Inclusion, and Participation of the Roma People (2021–2030) offers grounds for optimism. Jarque believes it provides a framework for Roma communities and public administrations to work together to improve their social image and promote active civic participation.

Juan Jarque Jarque has become the first Roma scholar to earn a Ph.D. in Contemporary History at the Universitat Jaume I, defending in June 2025 his dissertation "Gitanos en Castellón de la Plana. Avecindamiento forzoso, control y desigualdad (1739- 1978)" [Roma in Castelló de la Plana: Forced Settlement, Control, and Inequality (1739–1978)], supervised by Professor Imilcy Balboa Navarro.

The study reconstructs, for the first time, the history of Roma families in Castelló province, which largely mirrors that of the rest of Spain: periods of migration, settlement, expulsion, resettlement, persecution—and always rejection, discrimination through legal measures, and strict control by authorities.

His research set out two goals. First, to narrate the history of Roma in Castelló from the forced settlement of two Roma families on May 12, 1739, to December 29, 1978, when the Spanish Constitution—whose Article 14 guarantees equality for all citizens—entered into force. Second, to identify the causes of persistent discrimination against the Roma minority after six centuries in Spain and, more specifically, in the 46 years since Roma Spaniards gained the same legal rights as the rest of the population.

In 2025, Spain marks the 600th anniversary of the Roma people's arrival on the Iberian Peninsula. An institutional declaration approved by the Council of Ministers in January highlights the Roma presence since the 15th century and their contributions to Spain's history, culture and language, while also acknowledging the historic debt linked to enduring inequality, centuries of antigypsy laws, and repeated attempts at extermination.