Lusophobia
Encyclopedia
Lusophobia is a hostility toward Portugal
, a nation occupying the west of the Iberian Peninsula
in south-western Europe, its Portuguese people
or the Portuguese language
and culture
. Like Lusitanic
, the word derives from Lusitania
, the Ancient Roman
province
that comprised what is nowadays Central and Southern Portugal
, and phobia
that means "fear" or, more likely, "aversion of". The term is used in Portuguese-speaking countries, and its use in English is almost non-existent. The opposite concept is lusophilia
.
, a former colony
of the Portuguese Empire
, with Liberal politicians in Rio de Janeiro
and Pernambuco
advocating the reduction of immigrant Portuguese involvement in the Brazilian economy, though almost all were themselves of Portuguese descent
.
In Rio
, the "Jacobinos", a small national radical group, were the strongest opponents of the "Galegos", the Portuguese immigrants, who were (and still are) also the biggest ethnocultural community in Brazil.
In the immediate aftermath of the abdication of Pedro I of Brazil in 1831, in favor of his son Pedro II of Brazil
, the poor black people, including slaves, staged anti-Portuguese riots in the streets of Brazil's larger cities.
countries such as Britain
and the United States
, as a way to deal with their shared colonial past
. Many Brazilians are used to telling Portuguese jokes (piadas de português), where the Portuguese people
and the Portuguese Brazilian community are always referred to as unintelligent people, while the Portuguese also tell the same jokes about Brazilians. Soap opera actress Maitê Proença
, commenting in the Brazilian TV comedy show Saia Justa in 2007, became a notable example of a Brazilian public figure
who was heavily accused of prejudice against the Portuguese people. Some critics say that this incident reflected the incoming wave of xenophobia
over Europe coming to Portugal, with heavy media scrutiny over a trivial matter.
during the Portuguese hosted Euro 2004 football championship. A number of Portugal national football team
fans, including women and children, had to be led to safety after more than 300 people began throwing missiles at a Norfolk
pub following England's defeat to Portugal. Police arrested the hooligans
after the trouble. The Portuguese fans were trapped inside the pub for more than two hours.
A similar event happened in Jersey
(a British crown colony) after Portugal knocked out England on penalties at the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. The island has a significant Portuguese community and hooligan England fans waited for the Portuguese fans to leave a Portuguese club. Riot police were involved in baton charges and were assaulted with missiles and 25 England fans were arrested.
Two Portuguese families working in Northern Ireland
were also removed from their homes in County Armagh
after an allegedly racist
attack in August 2004. "The Chairman of the local District Policing Partnership, Jonathan Bell of the Democratic Unionist Party
, said the community was outraged at the attacks."
Negative press and feeling became high in 2007 when a three-year old British child, Madeleine McCann
, disappeared from Praia da Luz
, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal in May 2007. Many UK media outlets wrote highly critical articles that were described by Marcel Berlins
in The Guardian
, as having "a touch of arrogant xenophobia". Whilst others in the media such as Simon Heffer
attempted to foster anti-Portuguese sentiment with ideas such as boycotting Portugal as a holiday destination, this was not reflected in general public opinion which saw record numbers of UK tourists visit Portugal. Considered a record, the estimates were of 2 million British tourists holidaying in Portugal in 2007. Notable anti-Portuguese articles by Tony Parsons received a record number of complaints to the Press Complaints Commission
for that year.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, a nation occupying the west of the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
in south-western Europe, its Portuguese people
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
or the Portuguese language
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
and culture
Culture of Portugal
The culture of Portugal is the result of a complex flow of different civilizations during the past Millennia. From prehistoric cultures, to its Pre-Roman civilizations , passing through its contacts with the Phoenician-Carthaginian world, the Roman period , the...
. Like Lusitanic
Lusitanic
Lusitanic , from Latin Lusitanicus, adjective from Lusitania, the name of a Roman province in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the two official names for Portugal is a term used to categorize persons who share the linguistic and cultural traditions of the Portuguese.When the modern day country of...
, the word derives from Lusitania
Lusitania
Lusitania or Hispania Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain . It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people...
, the Ancient Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
that comprised what is nowadays Central and Southern Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and phobia
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
that means "fear" or, more likely, "aversion of". The term is used in Portuguese-speaking countries, and its use in English is almost non-existent. The opposite concept is lusophilia
Lusophilia
Lusophilia is the love of, or friendship or sympathy toward, Portugal and/or Portuguese things. The word derives from Luso- plus -philia...
.
Brazil
In the nineteenth century, the term Lusophobia was often used to describe nationalist sentiments in BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, a former colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of the Portuguese Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
, with Liberal politicians in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
and Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
advocating the reduction of immigrant Portuguese involvement in the Brazilian economy, though almost all were themselves of Portuguese descent
Portuguese-Brazilian
Portuguese Brazilians are Brazilian citizens whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Portugal. Most of the Portuguese arrived throughout the centuries to Brazil, sought economic opportunities...
.
In Rio
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, the "Jacobinos", a small national radical group, were the strongest opponents of the "Galegos", the Portuguese immigrants, who were (and still are) also the biggest ethnocultural community in Brazil.
In the immediate aftermath of the abdication of Pedro I of Brazil in 1831, in favor of his son Pedro II of Brazil
Pedro II of Brazil
Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
, the poor black people, including slaves, staged anti-Portuguese riots in the streets of Brazil's larger cities.
Brazil
Today, relations between Brazil and Portugal are amicable, with a degree of friendly rivalry comparable to that between English-speakingEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
countries such as Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as a way to deal with their shared colonial past
European colonization of the Americas
The start of the European colonization of the Americas is typically dated to 1492. The first Europeans to reach the Americas were the Vikings during the 11th century, who established several colonies in Greenland and one short-lived settlement in present day Newfoundland...
. Many Brazilians are used to telling Portuguese jokes (piadas de português), where the Portuguese people
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
and the Portuguese Brazilian community are always referred to as unintelligent people, while the Portuguese also tell the same jokes about Brazilians. Soap opera actress Maitê Proença
Maitê Proença
- Biography :Maitê Proença was born in São Paulo, Brazil in 1958. Her grandparents were Portuguese, French and Italian. As a child, Maitê studied in an American School and, thus, speaks fluent English, as well as French, Spanish, and Italian...
, commenting in the Brazilian TV comedy show Saia Justa in 2007, became a notable example of a Brazilian public figure
Public figure
Public figure is a legal term applied in the context of defamation actions as well as invasion of privacy. A public figure cannot base a lawsuit on incorrect harmful statements unless there is proof that the writer or publisher acted with actual malice...
who was heavily accused of prejudice against the Portuguese people. Some critics say that this incident reflected the incoming wave of xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
over Europe coming to Portugal, with heavy media scrutiny over a trivial matter.
United Kingdom
Violence against Portuguese citizens in Britain manifested as hooliganismHooliganism
Hooliganism refers to unruly, destructive, aggressive and bullying behaviour. Such behaviour is commonly associated with sports fans. The term can also apply to general rowdy behaviour and vandalism, often under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs....
during the Portuguese hosted Euro 2004 football championship. A number of Portugal national football team
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
fans, including women and children, had to be led to safety after more than 300 people began throwing missiles at a Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
pub following England's defeat to Portugal. Police arrested the hooligans
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
after the trouble. The Portuguese fans were trapped inside the pub for more than two hours.
A similar event happened in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
(a British crown colony) after Portugal knocked out England on penalties at the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. The island has a significant Portuguese community and hooligan England fans waited for the Portuguese fans to leave a Portuguese club. Riot police were involved in baton charges and were assaulted with missiles and 25 England fans were arrested.
Two Portuguese families working in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
were also removed from their homes in County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
after an allegedly racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
attack in August 2004. "The Chairman of the local District Policing Partnership, Jonathan Bell of the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
, said the community was outraged at the attacks."
Negative press and feeling became high in 2007 when a three-year old British child, Madeleine McCann
Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
Madeleine McCann disappeared on the evening of Thursday, 3 May 2007. She was on holiday with her parents and twin siblings in the Algarve region of Portugal. The British girl went missing from an apartment, in the central area of the resort of Praia da Luz, a few days before her fourth...
, disappeared from Praia da Luz
Praia da Luz
Praia da Luz , officially Luz, is a civil parish, village and resort located about 6 km from the municipality of Lagos in the Algarve, Portugal. Also known as Luz de Lagos or Vila da Luz, "Praia da Luz", which means Beach of the Light, is used to refer to both the village and the beach...
, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal in May 2007. Many UK media outlets wrote highly critical articles that were described by Marcel Berlins
Marcel Berlins
Marcel Berlins is a lawyer, legal commentator, broadcaster, and columnist. He writes for British newspapers The Guardian and The Times, presented BBC Radio 4's legal programme Law in Action for 15 years and is currently a Visiting Professor at City University London in the department.He was born...
in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, as having "a touch of arrogant xenophobia". Whilst others in the media such as Simon Heffer
Simon Heffer
Simon James Heffer is a British journalist, columnist and writer.-Education:Heffer was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.-Career:...
attempted to foster anti-Portuguese sentiment with ideas such as boycotting Portugal as a holiday destination, this was not reflected in general public opinion which saw record numbers of UK tourists visit Portugal. Considered a record, the estimates were of 2 million British tourists holidaying in Portugal in 2007. Notable anti-Portuguese articles by Tony Parsons received a record number of complaints to the Press Complaints Commission
Press Complaints Commission
The Press Complaints Commission is a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC is funded by the annual levy it charges newspapers and magazines...
for that year.
See also
- LusophiliaLusophiliaLusophilia is the love of, or friendship or sympathy toward, Portugal and/or Portuguese things. The word derives from Luso- plus -philia...
- LusophoneLusophoneA Lusophone is someone who speaks the Portuguese language, either as a native, as an additional language, or as a learner. As an adjective, it means "Portuguese-speaking"...
- LusitanicLusitanicLusitanic , from Latin Lusitanicus, adjective from Lusitania, the name of a Roman province in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the two official names for Portugal is a term used to categorize persons who share the linguistic and cultural traditions of the Portuguese.When the modern day country of...
- Black LegendBlack LegendThe Black Legend refers to a style of historical writing that demonizes Spain and in particular the Spanish Empire in a politically motivated attempt to morally disqualify Spain and its people, and to incite animosity against Spanish rule...
- LusotropicalismLusotropicalismLusotropicalism or Luso-Tropicalism was first coined by Brazilian sociologist Gilberto Freyre,to describe the distinctive character of the Portuguese imperialism in several lectures, and is a belief and movement especially strong during the António de Oliveira Salazar dictatorship in Portugal ,...
- Racism in PortugalRacism in PortugalPortugal has been for centuries an ethnic homogeneous country with non-significant populations belonging to other races and cultures. An anti-discrimination law was published on 28 August 1999. It prohibits discriminatory practices based on race, colour, nationality and ethnic origin...
- Simon HefferSimon HefferSimon James Heffer is a British journalist, columnist and writer.-Education:Heffer was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.-Career:...
- Tony ParsonsTony Parsons (British journalist)Tony Parsons is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror...