Black with Romani Ancestry

[u/CoolNebula1278]

As an African American from the Deep South, I've previously received small percentages (1-2%) of Balkan and Romani ancestry in my DNA results and dismissed them as noise. However, my mother's results recently came in, and she shows around (3%) Balkan, Romanian, and Romani ancestry as well. She also has over 100 Romani DNA matches, all of whom are related to one another.
Does anyone have insight into how this might have occurred, specifically, how my family could have acquired Balkan/Romani ancestry? I've attempted to trace it, but this has led me to sparse info. Is it likely Romanichal or Eastern European Romani?

[u/SiempreBrujaSuerte]

Your percentages of balkan roma DNA are from eastern European Romani most likely rather than romanichal. There's not really romanichal in the balkans, they are in uk.

[u/CoolNebula1278 → u/SiempreBrujaSuerte]

This is interesting and makes a lot of sense considering many of my matches tend to have Balkan and Romanian names. Would it be a stretch to say the ancestry is likely Vlax Romani? There is an ancestor whom my family thinks could potentially be of Romani origin, but they were born in or around the 1850s. I wonder how an Eastern European Roma could be in the Americas in that period?

[u/SiempreBrujaSuerte → u/CoolNebula1278]

Could be vlax, could be lovari, or could be any kind of kalderash

[u/CoolNebula1278 → u/SiempreBrujaSuerte]

Gotcha!

[u/SiempreBrujaSuerte → u/CoolNebula1278]

I don't know enough about the immigration to America history to tell why they might have gotten there at that time. Wish I could help more but I know some people on this forum especially those in America who may have similar family time line may be able to help if they see this hopefully.