Anglophobia: the irrational phobia towards the English

We are possibly facing one of the most peculiar phobias and disorders that are known. Anglophobia is a totally irrational and passionate feeling of hatred towards everything that has to do with English culture, specifically England. Well, it should not be confused with Anglo-Saxon.

Some phenomena could roughly explain the reasons why the tendency to Anglophobia is growing. Expert sociologists in anthropology point out 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 go.

What is Anglophobia?

The etymology of the word comes from the Latin "Anglus", which means English, and "Phobos", derived from the Greek whose meaning is 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 with English.

On the other hand, Anglophobia has its origins in the past history of the English Empire, which came to dominate half the globe, colonized resource-rich countries, wiped out the local population and imposed its culture for the new generations. All of 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 that have deeply rooted Anglophobia. You will be surprised in which places the English are systematically afraid of.

1. Australia

In the oceanic country there is one of the most prominent Anglophobias on the entire list. Although they speak English, drive to the right and share cultural habits, it must be remembered that Australia served as a prison and exile for the British Empire during the 18th century. This meant the definitive replacement of Australian aborigines by European citizens.

In addition, in Australia there is a popular pejorative expression for the English immigrant: “whingeing pom”, which means “English whiner”. Let us also remember, since the country was founded, it depends, indirectly, on England at a political and economic level.

2. United States of America

Another Anglo-Saxon country and a direct descendant of the English. Although it seems that there is good harmony on a political, economic and cultural level, the truth is that there are many misgivings among Americans towards the English. In fact, the first to pronounce the word “anglophobia” was one of the founders of the country, Thomas jefferson.

3. Ireland

The Irish case is more evident. The British Empire occupied this small island for more than seven centuries, subjecting the Irish nation politically and culturally. Once the country was decolonized, during the late twentieth century the conflict between the English and the Irish, especially for religious themes (Catholics against Protestants), which meant the creation of GO TO. (Irish Republic Army).

The demands of Celtic culture, language and independence against England continue to be the subject of demonstrations and commemorative performances by the most nationalist sectors. The latest political tension was caused 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 from the historical dispute between both nations for the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). The last direct conflict between the two countries occurred in 1982, when Argentina made an attempt to recover these islands and they 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 Argentines redeemed the humiliation. In a confrontation with the English team, the star Diego Armando Maradona gave the albiceleste the triumph of honor, with a goal in extremis with the hand, which would go down in history as the goal of "the hand of God".

5. Spain

The Spanish case is quite peculiar. Of the entire list of countries that suffer from Anglophobia, Spain is perhaps the least, although the undesirable tourist practice on the part of the English, makes this trend is on the rise. However, 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 conquering 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 an easy victory in mind. Quite the opposite. Without hardly realizing it, they found their "Invincible Armada" sinking and with thirty-fourths 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 Costa Brava Catalan. Neighbors and public administrations have been denouncing rude behavior for two decades by part of the English tourist, such as drunkenness tourism, sexual and furniture destruction public.