The Fear of Immigrants

What is Xenophobia?

Fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that appears strange or foreign.

What does Ethnocentrism refer to?

The belief that a certain nation, state, culture, or community is superior to others.

How does exposure to immigrants affect xenophobia levels?

Xenophobia is lower among people who have more contact with immigrants.

What are the two forms of xenophobia?

Internal (intrapsychic) and external (interpersonal) expressions.

What is the impact of early childhood experiences on xenophobia according to psychoanalytic theory?

Xenophobia is embedded in early object relations, which are internalized childhood experiences with parents or caretakers.

How do psychoanalysts address racism in therapy?

Psychoanalysts work with both internalized (unconscious) and overt expressions of racism.

What is the significance of the 2016 election in the context of the article?

It brought particular unconscious dynamics into action regarding xenophobia and racism.

What is 'impression management' related to ethnic identity?

Desire for the privileges of whiteness, which may involve disowning one’s ethnic identity.

What is projection in psychoanalytic terms?

Perceiving hated aspects of self or another as part of someone else, not the loved one or self.

What are the shared human needs highlighted in the conclusion of the article?

Needs for dignity, identity, affirmation, mirroring, love, and generativity.

unconscious scapegoating

defense mechanism when someone blames another person or group when something bad happens

model minority myth

the belief that we have a system to get ahead but reinforce heicarchy

dissociation

to keep loved and hated aspects seperated

Splitting

seeing people as all good or all bad

Anika View on immigrants

She dissociated from her own ethnic heritage to escape marginalization and internalized biases

John view on immigrants

He sought power from his whiteness, dissociating from powerless people (certain immigrants) and reflecting a love-hate relationship with his parents