Anglophobia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Jump to: navigation, search

Anglophobia is a fear or hatred of England, its inhabitants or anything of its origin. It may also refer to fear of speakers of the English language, words borrowed from the English language or words derived from English words. This meaning often refers to the legendary French or Quebecois distaste for loanwords.

Grounds for anglophobia are usually historical, based on England's alleged dominance or subjugation of its Celtic neighbours in the rest of Britain and Ireland, and the British Empire, and the stereotype of the English as racist and snobbish, believing themselves to be superior to other people. This is particularly the case in former British colonies like Australia and New Zealand, with large populations of Irish origin, as well as in South Africa, where Afrikaners still bear grievances over the Boer War.

After the 1982 Falklands War events, Argentina and England developed a mutual feeling of dislike. Note that, even though the war was between Argentina and the United Kingdom, this situation is exclusively with England, as it has been shown in different sport events such as football and rugby where Scottish and Welsh people may support Argentina against England. The converse is also often true.

In the United States, Anglophobia was strong after the American Revolution, and helped contribute to the outbreak of the War of 1812. Anglophobia created tensions in the early days of World War II, and some Americans blamed the outbreak of the war on the activities of the British Empire. Tensions between British and American officers were often strained during that war, but the success of the joint effort led to a decline of Anglophobia in the United States, as reflected in the often cited belief in a "special relationship" between the two countries.

Anglophobia is still a complaint fielded by the English against Hollywood. In many American films English actors are often hired to portray cold and ruthless villains, particularly in Mel Gibson's Braveheart and The Patriot [1]. Some have speculated that this negative portrayal of the English in movies is a product of an environment of political correctness in Hollywood, where white "Anglo-Saxons" qualify as the least potentially offensive type of villain.[2]

See also

Personal tools
In other languages