NOT OF THE TRIBE:
FEAR OF THE FOREIGNER
By Trevor K. McNeil
The Roots of Difference
Human beings are tribal. By definition. Whether it is literally in the context of a family, or a tribal group, or a nation, there is always an “in” group. And as the Newtonian law of opposites tells us, there is also an “out” group. There has always been a fear of foreigners. Also known as xenophobia. Such is a biologically determined certainty.
Persecution Of “Out” Groups
What is not certain, or even particularly static, are the qualities that separate the “in” groups and the “out” groups. There are some factors common to many situations but no single indicator that determines whether a group is accepted or rejected. Not even what is called “race” or “culture.” There being cases of persecution between groups of similar if not the same, or close cultural and racial backgrounds. On going hostilities have existed for thousands of years.
A Classic Rivalry
Nowhere is this basic fear of foreigners between similar cultures clearer than the history of war between European nations. Something that dates back over 7,000 years. Including noticeable examples such as the adversarial relationship between the city states of Athens and Sparta, which remained snippy even when both were threatened by the full might of the Persian Empire.
White As Snow
The fear of foreigners was palpable during the Winter War. The general term for the failed attempt by the Soviet Union to invade Finland at the beginning of World War II. Famous for both its short duration, three months, and the mighty Soviets were soundly beaten despite having nearly three times the troops and equipment of the Fins. During the war, a single Finnish sniper, Simo Hayha, nicknamed “The White Death” because he dressed in all white camouflage achieved heroic status. Hayha earned 505 confirmed kills, some sources claim 542 confirmed kills, over the three-month period.
Neighbor Versus Neighbor
Not to mention the xenophobia-stoking door-to-door attempts of the newly liberated Serbians to take over their neighbors after the collapse of Soviet Yugoslavia in the 1990’s. What is now known as the Yugoslav Wars. The last of these being the infamous invasion of Albania in 1999. A major war crime by white Europeans against other white Europeans that saw the leader of the Serbian government, Slobodan Milosevic, ousted by his own military.
A Whiter Shade of Pale
Say the word “slavery” and the first thing that will come to mind, at least among North Americans, is the Atlantic slave trade. And then maybe the Jews in Egypt. What likely does not come to mind are the Vikings. Or, rather, the Norse. “Viking” was the term for a very specific warrior class making up about 20% of overall ancient Norse society.
Slaves Needed
Norse society was based on farming. The next highest rank after king and warrior was farmer and members of the Norwegian parliament were still colloquially called “Farmers” at least until the late 1800’s. Farms need labor, so slaves were used by many landowners. Theses slaves came from nearby European regions such as Britain, as well as other Norse Kingdoms. Causing xenophobia against Norse peoples, indeed.
Hammer of the Scots
The Scots have had it pretty rough. The English tried to take them over starting in the 11th century, finally succeeding in the 1700’s. Though while the English have certainly been a problem, King Edward I being nicknamed “The Hammer of the Scots”, much of the trouble in modern times has been along sectarian lines. Fear of foreigners, or at least fear of the other, getting to the point that white, European, Christian, Scots, were fighting over whether they are Catholic or Protestant. To the point that they really didn’t notice anyone else.
The Scots
Until very recently, anti-immigrant sentiment in Scotland was extremely limited. Particularly when compared to countries like England which has had organizations such as the National Front an anti-immigrant party since the late 1960’s. Most Scots being too busy stabbing each other over soccer and Biblical interpretations to notice the Pakistani family up the street.
“Bog-Wog”
The Irish have been in much the same refugee ship when it comes to the issue of inter-European oppression. Despite usually being so pale there are jokes, usually self-directed, about “crackling in the sun”, fear of foreigners was at a height in the pre-modern era and the Irish where not considered “white” in either Europe or America until the late 1800’s. Terms used then, and later, include:
“White Nigger” (Now compounded to “Wigger”)
“Potato Nigger”
“Bog-Wog” (Play on “Wog” from “Pollywog” for Black people)
“Donkey” (Because it was cheaper to hire an Irishman)
“Hibe” (From Hibernian)
“Pot-Licker” (Reference to desperation from the Potato Famine)
Tenacity Personified
Though there is one group who bore the brunt of the fear of foreigners more than almost any other. The Roma. Commonly known as “Gypsies”, due to a mistaken assumption they originated in Egypt. The country, or continent they happen to be living in; be it Egypt, Hungary, France, England or America making little difference. There are, of course, those who question whether the Roma count as “white”. The original migration trail of the Roma is from India. Biologically, Indians are Caucasian. The latest Roma left India for Europe during the 11th century A.D. Present day Roma are at least 50 percent white European, if not more.
A History of Violence
Troubles for the Roma due to xenophobia started almost as soon as they entered Europe. One of the first major incidences occurring in France in 1482. As mentioned by Victor Hugo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, published in 1833, the Catholic Church of the time nearly led a wholesale massacre of Roma in Paris. This activity is one of the first instances of willful political ethnic cleansing.
The Other Camps
The Pope was not the last to try. A little known chapter of Holocaust history is that an estimated 500,000 Roma were murdered in Nazi concentration camps. The third largest instance of government-sanctioned mass-killing due to xenophobia in the 20th century, following the more famous Jewish Holocaust. Or, the second most horrific mass murders which occurred during WWI when during the Armenian Genocide millions of Armenians were crucified.
Some Things Never Change
A key sign that current European populists such as Hungarian President Janos Ader, Bulgaria’s Rumen Radev and Recep Erdogan of Turkey are pulling pages from old playbooks is their approach to the Roma. Particularly in terms of stoking fear of foreigners and appealing to people’s natural xenophobia. Often referring to them by the coded term “undesirables.” Hightened political rhetoric has led to an increase in violent attacks on the community. Tolerance of the beating and even murder of Roma men and boys is well known. In addition, the violent rape of Roma women and girls, is well documented. Some victims are killed while others are so brutalized that they are left with severe and sometimes permanent hip injuries from the attacks. In Europe. In the 21st century.
Hearts of Hate
People will always hate and fear the “other”. It is in our nature and is rarely logical, or even conscious. The human species is easily riled and quick to defend “our own”, no matter what that group might be.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conflicts_in_Europe
https://www.britroyals.com/kings.asp?id=edward1
http://www.rsdb.org/race/irish
https://www.gallowayministries.org/timeline-of-romani-persecution.html
http://www.errc.org/news/remembering-the-romani-holocaust
