Racism and Xenophobia

In this article we will provide you the Difference between racism and xenophobia with Similarities.

What does racism mean?

Racism is a form of prejudice or discrimination based on membership in a specific racial, ethnic or cultural group . It is historically rooted in the abuse of power and economic, political and social domination over other racial groups. Racism manifests itself as hostility, contempt or hatred towards people of different racial or ethnic origins; stereotype their physical characteristics; assign them socially constructed roles that keep them subordinate; deny them certain basic privileges and rights and neglect their legitimate demands. Therefore, racism implies not only discriminating against someone because of their race but also limiting their possibilities to live with dignity and freedom.

What does xenophobic mean?

Xenophobe is a term used to describe people who express hatred and hostility towards foreigners. This negative attitude is reflected in the way of thinking, speaking or acting against certain ethnic, religious or cultural groups different from one’s own. It is a discriminatory behavior that is usually caused by fear of the “other”, as well as a lack of knowledge about different cultures. Xenophobia prevents mutual understanding and collaboration between peoples, generating situations of conflict and intolerance.

Similarities between racism and xenophobia

Racism and xenophobia are similar concepts that have the same objective: to discriminate against groups of people based on their race, ethnicity or nationality. They are related to the lack of respect towards others due to their origin, culture or place of residence. Both concepts are characterized by irrational and unjustified prejudice towards those people who do not belong to the racial, ethnic or national group of the discriminating individual. Racism is broader than xenophobia as it can involve other factors such as age or sex; However, both share the negative feeling towards strangers based on stereotypes and irrational prejudices.

Differences between racism and xenophobia

Racism is a form of prejudice or discrimination based on the mistaken belief that some races are superior to others . It mainly refers to relations between racial groups, and can manifest itself both as negative attitudes towards members of a certain ethnic group and as directly discriminatory actions. For his part, the xenophobeIt is one who has fear or hatred towards all those who come from countries other than their own. A xenophobe not only treats foreign people with hostility but also denies them their basic rights such as political asylum and free movement through the countries of the world. The fundamental difference then lies in directing racism towards people belonging to the same geographical place (for example within the same region), while xenophobia is framed within the international context, covering several continents and/or diversified ethnic origins.