Xenophobia

XENOPHOBIA

by:Sara Io

The word phobia is a noun which means an extreme or irrational fear of something. According to Merriam Webster dictionary, “xen” is a combining word which means relating to foreigners, or different. Therefore, xenophobia, as a word, means the fear or hatred of foreigners, strangers, or something different from where you’re from. Xenophobia is an irrational fear, which means it is a fear that is not logical or reasonable. Xenophobia is much like racism, but it is not about how you physically look, your religion, or race. Xenophobia is prejudice and hatred against someone from other countries, but racism is when someone thinks that their race is superior or better than another.

There is xenophobia constantly going on in the world, and it has existed a long time ago. In 1918, the Spanish Flu broke out killing almost 50 million people. It was one of the world’s most tragic and dangerous viruses. The name itself, the “Spanish Flu” is an example of xenophobia. Naming the flu from one region or country, even though it was claimed as a worldwide pandemic, is a great example of xenophobia. Another example would be, during the World War 2, Japanese Americans and Japanese Canadians were excluded from society and lost basic rights and liberties. This is due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese during World War 2.

Xenophobia is often a fear that can be created and developed over time after a scary or traumatic experience, or it could be a mental disorder. According to Nicola Kirkpatrick, from betterhelp.com, some psychologists say that xenophobia is a mental disorder. When someone is affected by xenophobia, especially when the xenophobia has been directed at them, it can affect their wellbeing. This is because in a traumatic experience, some people might have anger or a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, when your mind creates an un-real reality and you can’t function properly. For example, you break into a sweat or start to breathe heavily when you see a foreigner thinking that they might be a threat to you. By experiencing these symptoms more than once before claimed or diagnosed as a mental disorder which will leads to social problems.

Can xenophobia be positive? This phobia often has a negative connotation. In my opinion, yes, xenophobia is negative. But, according to Psychology Today, author Gary Bernhardt and Kalman Glantz, xenophobia can be positive. The authors stated that xenophobia is natural and that a fear of outsiders is developed even at a young age. They say that xenophobia can help bring people together of the country or race. “It mobilizes people to fight for their group, and  it serves to bind members of the group together,”, write the authors. The two also write that the only way to contain and stop xenophobia is human evolution. The article says that leaders use xenophobia, because not long after they become a leader, they “Tap into our natural xenophobia” to bind the citizens and people together with a common enemy.

For me, I believe that xenophobia is negative because it divides the cultures of humankind. I think that thinking about uniting your country is a great idea, but it can divide the world even more. There is a lot more  the world and humans can accomplish when united and together. If every country relies on a divisor of humankind to unite their own kind, then the world might break into war. In times of crisis, the world needs to come together and fight whatever comes at their way, putting all xenophobia aside. For all humans to work together will take a long time, but if people take small steps such as learning another language, or learning a different cultures, and being open-minded, you are already exposing yourself to being more positive in looking at a country. Because xenophobia is prejudice, hatred, and negativity, everyone must learn before they judge.

Some people say that xenophobia is often underreported. Therefore, some might not know they are experiencing or creating xenophobia towards an individual or society. If xenophobia can be controlled and known across the world, the division between race and humans could decrease. If people spread the word and are aware of how to stop xenophobia and stop the traumatic experiences, the world will be a better place for everyone. Spread the word and stop xenophobia.