In the United States, Roma are often associated with a distant, even exotic, culture. University of Texas Professor Ian Hancock estimates as many as one million Roma live in the America.  According to Hancock, there have been waves of Roma immigration since the early 1800s.  Hancock, who previously served as a Romani representative at the UN, says that historically it has been easy for Roma to blend in while holding on to their traditions.  Doing so, however, has not been without consequence.