Anglophobia: the irrational phobia towards the English and the Anglo-Saxon

Some individuals feel a more or less explicit rejection towards the Anglo-Saxon.

This is possibly one of the most peculiar phobias and disorders known to mankind.. Anglophobia is a totally irrational and passionate feeling of hatred towards everything that has to do with English culture, specifically England. Not to be confused with Anglo-Saxon.

Some phenomena could explain, broadly speaking, the reasons why the trend towards Anglophobia is in crescendo. Sociologists, experts in anthropology, point to this rejection due to the constant imposition of the English language to develop in the academic world, in the world of work and, therefore, the tourism that the English project wherever they go.

What is Anglophobia?

The etymology of the word comes from the Latin "Anglus", meaning English, and "Phobos", derived from the Greek meaning fear.. It has been classified as a pathology because Anglophobia does not respond to any specific criticism or structural characteristic, but because it is a generalized criticism against everything that has to do with Englishness.

On the other hand, Anglophobia has its origins in the past history of the English Empire, which came to dominate half the globe, colonized countries rich in resources, wiped out the local population and imposed its culture on the new generations. All this contributes to a better understanding of this phenomenon.

The 5 countries with the most Anglophobia

To better understand the complexity of this pathology, we will resort to a classification of countries with deep-rooted Anglophobia. You will be surprised in which places people are systematically afraid of the English..

1. Australia

The Oceanic country is home to one of the most prominent Anglophobes on this list.. Although they speak English, drive on the right and share cultural habits, it must be remembered that Australia served as a prison and banishment for the British Empire during the 18th century. That meant the ultimate replacement of Aboriginal Australians with European citizens.

Moreover, in Australia there is a popular pejorative expression for the English immigrant: "whingeing pom", which means "English complainer". It should also be remembered that since the country was founded, it has been indirectly dependent on England on a political and economic level.

2. United States of America

Another Anglo-Saxon country and direct descendant of the English. Although it may seem that there is a good political, economic and cultural harmony, the truth is that there are many misgivings among Americans. there are many misgivings among Americans towards the English.. In fact, the first to utter the word "Anglophobia" was one of the founders of the country, Thomas Jefferson.

3. Ireland

The Irish case is more obvious. The British Empire occupied this small island for more than seven centuries, subjugating the Irish nation politically and culturally. Once the country was decolonized, at the end of the 20th century, the conflict between the English and the Irish was rekindled, especially over religious issues (Catholics versus Protestants), which led to the creation of the I.R.A. (Irish Republic Army). (Irish Republic Army).

The claims of Celtic culture, language and independence against England continue to be the reason for demonstrations and commemorative stagings of the most nationalist sectors. The last political tension was provoked by the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 2011, where there were public altercations and a notorious rejection of her presence on Irish soil.

4. Argentina

The Argentine case is one of the latest and most recent in terms of Anglophobia.. Basically, the tensions between England and the Latin American country date back to the historical dispute between both nations over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). The last direct conflict between the two countries took place in 1982, when Argentina made an attempt to recover the islands and were defeated.

The social frustration after the Falklands War was notorious, as well as difficult to manage. It was not until the 1986 World Cup soccer championship that the Argentines redeemed the humiliation. In a confrontation with the English national team, star Diego Armando Maradona gave the Albiceleste the victory of honor, with a goal in extremis with his hand, which would go down in history as the goal of "the hand of God".

5. Spain

The Spanish case is quite peculiar. Of all the countries that suffer from Anglophobia, Spain is perhaps the one that suffers the least, although the undesirable tourist practice by the English, makes this tendency to increase.This tendency is on the rise. Nevertheless, the political and social relations between Spain and England have been a real roller coaster.

At the height of the Spanish Empire, which was ahead of the British Empire in the conquest of America, the former inflicted humiliating defeats for almost two centuries. One of the most important battles was the Battle of Cartagena de Indias in 1741 (Cartagena, Colombia today). The English, superior in number of troops and frigates, had in mind an easy victory. On the contrary. Without hardly realizing it, they found their "Invincible Armada" sinking and with three quarters of their army down.

Historical facts aside, the current Anglophobia in Spain is due to the tourist "invasion" that the English have made in the Iberian Peninsula, especially in coastal areas, southern Andalusia and its coasts, as well as the Balearic Islands or the Catalan Costa Brava. Neighbors and public administrations have been denouncing for two decades a foul behavior on the part of the English tourist, such as drunken tourism, sexual tourism and destruction of public furniture.