Xenophobia
is the fear, dislike, or prejudice against people from other countries, cultures, or those perceived as foreign or strange. It stems from the Greek words xénos ("stranger, foreigner") and phóbos ("fear"). Key Aspects
- Not a Clinical Phobia: Despite the "phobia" in its name, xenophobia is not typically considered a true mental health disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Instead, it refers to an ideology, attitude, or worldview that is a societal problem.
- Overlap with Racism: Xenophobia often overlaps with racism, but they are distinct. Racism is discrimination based on a person's race or ethnicity, usually involving a belief in racial superiority. Xenophobia is usually rooted in the perception of a person or group as being an "outsider" or "foreign" to the community, regardless of race.
- Manifestations: Xenophobia can range from subtle microaggressions to overt hostility, violence, and institutional discrimination. It can be a factor in things like workplace discrimination, unfair immigration policies, and even genocide.
Examples of Xenophobia
- Hostile Immigration Policies: Enacting laws and policies designed to restrict certain groups from entering a country.
- Scapegoating: Blaming immigrants or minority groups for societal problems like a lack of jobs or economic hardship.
- Cultural Rejection: Making negative remarks about the food, clothing, music, or language of a different culture.
- Historical Atrocities: Events like the Holocaust, the forced removal of Native Americans from their land, and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II are considered horrific examples of xenophobia.
- Pandemic-Related Prejudice: The increase in anti-Asian discrimination and violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, often fueled by rhetoric blaming China for the virus.
Combating Xenophobia
Efforts to combat xenophobia focus on fostering understanding and challenging prejudiced views:
- Education and Exposure: Increasing contact with people from diverse backgrounds can help reduce fear and mistrust of the unfamiliar.
- Media Literacy: Being aware of how the media portrays minorities and immigrants can help identify and challenge negative stereotypes.
- Speaking Out: Individuals can speak out against xenophobic comments and report hate crimes to local authorities or organizations like Stop Hate UK.
- Policy Changes: Addressing the institutional and political factors that fuel anti-immigrant sentiment and discrimination.
The opposite of xenophobia is xenophilia, which is an appreciation or attraction to foreign people, places, or customs.
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xen·o·pho·bi·a
/ˌzenəˈfōbēə,ˌzēnəˈfōbēə/
noun
- dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries."the resurgence of racism and xenophobia"Similar:prejudiceintolerancebigotryinsularityparochialism
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Xenophobia
is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign
or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that
a ...
The University of Edinburgh
https://reportandsupport.ed.ac.uk › pages › what-is-xeno...
Xenophobia,
is the fear or hatred of people who are perceived as being different
from oneself. This can be based on a person's race, ethnicity,
nationality, ...
Sep 24, 2020 — “Xenophobia is a form of racism that has been embedded in our laws.” One way to overcome the alienation that xenophobia brings is to combat the ...
Racism and xenophobia
have been a part of our country since its beginning: from Native
American genocide to slavery to immigration policies that target
certain ...
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Xenophobia
is the fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners. In contrast, racism
has a broader meaning set, including "a belief that racial
differences ...
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The meaning of XENOPHOBIA is fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign. Did you know?
Dec 6, 2025 — Xenophobia is the fear or dislike of people from other countries. Xenophobia can lead to violence and discrimination against people seen as ...
Mar 31, 2023 — Xenophobia and anti-immigrant extremism perpetuate the idea that immigrants, or people who are perceived to be “foreign” or “outsiders,” threaten America's ...
Racism and racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance all occur on a daily basis, hindering progress for millions of people around the world.
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Xenophobia
Xenophobia
is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign
or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a
conflict exists between an in-group and an out-group ...
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