Islamophobia-hatred or fear of Muslims or of their politics or culture
Hispanophobia-an aversion to Spain or to Spanish-speaking countries or peoples.
I have heard these words on TV but thought they were just made up. Apparently not. Here they are. I always thought that phobias were fears with deep psychological roots. Apparently not. We have used the word ‘homophobia’ for years to indicate those who dislike gays. Perhaps the word implies discomfort with gays as much as it does dislike.
Now we have all of these issues confronting the American people, perhaps we need to discuss the use of these words. Are they legitimate words? Do they really convey how some people feel? Are they politically ‘loaded’ words?
Are there other words that are recently ‘invented’ to describe social conditions? Are these words insulting when used at a person or group of people?
Are these words just more specific examples of a legitimate word, ‘xenophobia,’ which seems to have been around much longer than these other words?
Xenophobia- undue fear or contempt of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or foreign peoples.
