Xenophobia

Written by Kiara Gil

Xenophobia

Xenophobia: The fear or hatred of those who are different from oneself.  Often based on one’s nationality, race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, or other characteristics.  It is viewed as a natural human tendency (Bettache, 2021).

The term xenophobia can be traced back to the 1800s, with its earliest documented citation traced to an English newspaper The Daily News in 1880 (Harper, n.d.). The term combines the Greek word for stranger/foreigner or guest, Xenos.  The term xenos itself refers to Zeus who was the deity of strangers/foreigners and was believed to be harsh to those who did not supply hospitality to all or broke the sanctity of guest rites.  Phobia originates from Phobos, meaning fear (Thompson, 2016).

Xenophobia is used in the context of community psychology to encompass the prejudice, hatred, hostility, and general fear of foreigners or immigrants, refugees, and/or religious/cultural minorities. Xenophobia can also be used when there is an assumed difference based on perception, such as skin color, religion, or tradition, in which someone feels distrust, hatred, or fear in reaction. Xenophobia is the seed from which bias, bigotry, stereotypes, and racism sprout (Gorman, 2024).  Xenophobia can be categorized into two different types, cultural xenophobia and immigrant xenophobia (Villines, 2022).

Cultural Xenophobia refers to one’s fear, hatred, or prejudice towards cultures outside of their own. An example of cultural xenophobia is the banning of certain traditional clothing or hairstyles in public spaces, such as within the U.S. school systems, where African American students in certain areas are punished or suspended from school for wearing their hair in natural hairstyles (see Crown Act). Another example of cultural xenophobia is hate crimes targeting people speaking their native languages or wearing traditional clothing (Guy-Evans, 2023).

Immigrant Xenophobia is used to describe the fear, hatred, or prejudice towards immigrants or people who are perceived to be immigrants. A common example of immigrant xenophobia is the use of the phrase “go back to your own country” by white American citizens towards other American citizens who are not white or who have an accent, regardless of the fact that they are citizens of the same country. Immigrant xenophobia is evident within anti-immigration policies, often targeting specific regions in which the population has more prejudice or hatred of, such as policies made specifically for the Mexican-American border crossings (Guy-Evans, 2023; Villines, 2022)