Lusophobia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lusophobia (Lusofobia) is a hostility toward Portugal or the Portuguese language. Like Lusitanic, the word derives from Lusitania, an Ancient Roman province, and phobia that means "fear". The term is used in Portuguese speaking countries, and its use in the English language has been limited.
The term Lusophobia was often used to describe nationalist sentiments in Brazil in the nineteenth century, with Liberal politicians in Rio de Janeiro and Pernambuco advocating the reduction of Portuguese involvement in the Brazilian economy.[1]
Today, relations between the two countries are amicable, with a degree of friendly rivalry comparable to that between English-speaking countries such as Britain and the United States.
Episodes in Portugal's 20th century history, including the long period of dictatorship under Antonio Salazar, the instability following the 1974 Carnation Revolution, and the disastrous withdrawal from its overseas empire in 1975, contributed to a negative image of the country, as did a relative lack of economic development, which prompted The Economist in 1980 to describe the country as 'Africa's only colony in Europe'.[2]
Portugal is now a stable democracy within the European Union (joined the European Economic Community in 1986), which has experienced considerable economic growth and economic development. After 1974 Carnation Revolution, not only have many Portuguese living overseas returned, thereby reversing a historical trend, but there has also been considerable migration from Ukraine, Romania, Brazil and PALOP countries to Portugal.
There is also a degree of racial prejudice and stereotyping of the Portuguese as lazy, with the Portuguese word for 'tomorrow', amanhã, being described as 'like [the Spanish] mañana, but without the urgency'. In fact, several hundred thousand Portuguese emigrants arrived during the 1960s - 1980s period in such places like the United States, Germany, France, Switzerland or Luxembourg, are in general highly regarded as a very productive, efficient and non-problematic workforce. Similarly, for several years, the Portuguese subsidiaries of multinational companies, such as Siemens, Volkswagen and Danone, rank among its most productive in the world for its continued high productivity records.
The Portuguese colonial policy of allowing some mixed race relationships also prompted some Northern Europeans to regard the Portuguese as racially inferior. However, as a result, race relations between the Portuguese and their colonial subjects were in some respects, often better than those of the British or Dutch and the people of their colonies.
Nevertheless, Portugal's refusal to grant self-determination to what it regarded as its 'overseas provinces' until the 1970s, not only damaged its image internationally, but resulted in costly unpopular wars against independence movements in Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea Bissau.
The Indonesian invasion and annexation of East Timor, from which Portugal abruptly withdrew in 1975, also gave rise to anti-Portuguese sentiment in Australia, even among those sympathetic to East Timor's struggle. [3] However, while successive Australian governments supported the Indonesian occupation, Portugal and the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa maintained a diplomatic campaign in support of East Timor's right to self-determination.
[edit] References
- ^ Mosher, Jeffrey C. "Political Mobilization, Party Ideology, and Lusophobia in Nineteenth-Century Brazil: Pernambuco, 1822-1850" Hispanic American Historical Review - 80:4, November 2000, pp. 881-912
- ^ 'Almost there, Portugal: A Survey' Robert Harvey, The Economist June 14, 1980.
- ^ [1]
