Racism and Xenophobia

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Racism and Xenophobia

• European Societies
• Claire Wallace

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Definitions

• Racism Anglo-American discourse about
  relationship between white society and people
  of colour.
• Also used in France (Wievorka) in a more specific
  sense
• Lentin argues that it is relevant in Europe
  because of historical tradition of colonialism
  and the holocaust that were common to most of
  Europe.
• But she argues that it now takes new forms. It is
  no longer about relationship between dominant
  (white) populations and colonised minorities. It
  is also about relationship between insiders
  (including the integrated minorities) and
  outsiders the new others and strangers such as
  asylum seekers. Linked to an idea of
  multiculturalism but too many foreigners will
  unbalance. Rise of identity politics has diluted
  racism.

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Definitions

• Xenophobia fear of strangers.
• Baumgartl and Favell argue that this has now
  mainly replaced racism in European discourse and
  is a more useful concept because it covers
  attitudes to poor white neighbouring migrants and
  anti-foreigner discourses.
• Can apply to very different groups Russians,
  immigrants, seasonal workers, guest workers,
  tourists, business people, asylum seekers, people
  buying holiday homes, gypsies, Aussiedler..
• Dont even have to be physically present (e.g.
  anti-semitism in Poland).
• EUMC (European Centre for the Monitoring of
  Xenophobia and Racism) checks responses to
  racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism, and
  anti-Muslim . It assumes these are all different
  but somehow related.

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Why is there xenophobia?

• In-groups and out-groups fundamental part of
  human societies
• To do with national identities being under threat
  or being formed
• Economic competition
• Historical repression of particular groups (or
  revenge of the repressed groups Russians in
  Latvia)
• Perceived threat to values/cultures (e.g. nomadic
  nature, sexuality, fecundity, etc.)
• Inclusion/exclusion based upon legal rules
• Systematic policies of the state
• Anti-foreigner populist political discourse
• Construction of symbolic boundaries
• Fear of strangers (Bauman)
• Competition about the welfare state (Faist)

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What is new about the new xenophobia/racism?

• New migration wave since 1989 (4th wave). Wave of
  uninvited foreigners not necessarily from former
  colonies
• Globalisation of migration change in nature of
  conflicts (civil wars/ethnic wars) displace
  civilian populations. They are able to move
  large numbers of refugees
• Integration of the EU with rising living
  standards
• Associated with rise of new populist
  anti-foreigner parties
• Associated with threat of terrorism
  (Islamaphobia)
• Anti-racist/xenophobic discourse of tolerance and
  human rights setting up of EUMC
• Cultural racism replaced biological racism
• Tightening up of migration and asylum laws (e.g.
  Schengen monitoring system and rule that must be
  expelled from all countries).
• Resistance of societies who do not see themselves
  as multicultural
• In ECE racism/xenophobia not expressed so Gypsies
  seen as citizens of lower development. Saw
  selves as culturally homogenous societies. So
  impact of foreigners difficult to accommodate.

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Vulnerable groups

• Immigrants
• Migrants in transit
• National minorities
• Foreigners in residence
• Refugees/asylum seekers
• Gypsies
• Muslims
• People of colour

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Atmosphere giving rise to xenophobia

• Significant discussion about national identity
• Rise of xenophobic political parties
• Tightening of legislation surrounding migration
• Deterioration in social attitudes

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How much xenophobia is there?

• According to the WVS it is declining in Europe
  (own analysis). Generally more tolerant
  attitudes. Value change
• More education, more tolerance
• Monitoring by EUMC v. high in Germany and
  especially Britain, but this is because
  monitoring systems are more thorough
• Some countries believe that they have no
  xenophobia (Italy)

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Example Austria

• Guest worker population and some minorities
• Same policies of integration as Germany
• Opening of borders floods of migrants and
  asylum seekers
• Economic competition due to cheaper labour from
  the East. Young manual workers especially
  threatened
• Joined EU more economic competition.
• Problems of national identity
• Historical link with Nazism
• Yugoslav wars many asylum seekers
• Rise of the FPO (Jorg Haider) appealing to young
  working class males
• Open support of old Nazis and xenophobic
  statements. Connected foreigners and criminality
• Eventually gained one quarter of the votes (from
  less than 10)
• Government became more right wing
• Stricter laws on migrants and asylum seekers

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Example Gypsies

• Gypsy Populations (1995)
• Austria8 000-10 000
• Belgium10 000-15 000
• Bulgaria350 000 370 000
• Czech Republic200 000- 300 000
• Denmark1000-1500
• Great Britain80 000-110 000
• Hungary500 000 600 000
• Ireland20 000 -25 000
• Romania410 000-990 000
• Slovakia800 000-850 000
• Source Baumgartl and Favell 1995

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Gypsies a people without a national territorry

• Tsigani, Roma, Sinti, Travellers
• Came to Europe about 11th Century from India
• Mostly worked as skilled craftsmen (smiths),
  musicians and soldiers
• With Ottoman victory at Mohacs in 1526 their
  position deteriorated
• In Romania and Bessarabia they had the status of
  slaves until liberated in 1863
• Austrians under Maria Theresia (late 18th C
  enlightenment monarch) tried to stop nomadism and
  kidnap children and this policy continued
  throughout Eastern Europe sporadically
• Gypsy music an important influence on Russian and
  Hungarian music
• Late 19thC rise of nationalism
• 1920s promotion of Gypsy culture and identity
• 1930s and 1940s. Gypsy holocaust 300 000 murdered
• 1950s under communism forced assimilation
• 1990s freedom and democracy but rise of crime
  and removal of subsidies, Roma situation
  deteriorated
• Blamed for all the economic problems and problems
  with the new democracies.
• Exodus of Roma
• Still life in appalling conditions, low
  educational attainment (dont attend school),
  poor housing and discrimination in the job
  market.
• Still hated by most European populations

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Gypsies in 19th C

• Charles Boner (Northern Romania)
• Conditions .were particularly wretched. Though
  cold and frosty, children of ten or twelve years
  of age stood outside the huts without a particle
  of clothing. In that state they will often sit on
  a piece of ice, and with feet drawn together,
  slide down a frozen slope. Many die however, from
  exposure and privation but the first years once
  over, their hardened frames bear every clemency.
  These people can support heat and cold.
  Everything, in short, except wind. Of that the
  gypsy has a thorough horror it completely
  incapacitated him for everything he shrinks
  before it helpless.
• Cited in Crowe 1994 p 125

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