What does it mean being a foreigner? There are many different forms of being a foreigner. Foreigners in foreign countries. Foreigners in their own country, but not accepted by public, by their friends, by their family. I think that everyone has already had such experience.
There have always been some foreigners and always will be. It is interesting, as history shows us, some people were discriminated and later they became a very strong community, and paradoxically, also rather intolerant to other religions. For example Christians. Thinking about being a foreigner – means considering paradoxes like generation gaps, religious or racist intolerance, dislikes in music taste– and later in your life or when moving to another community your likes or dislikes change very much.
Because of paradoxes it might help to look at a dictionary or encyclopaedia definition of Xenophobia. Xenophobia comes from the Greek word xenos, which means „a foreigner“ or „a stranger“, and from the word phobos, „fear“. For example racism is sometimes desribed as a form of xenophobia, but in most cases rasism has nothing to do with real phobia. What xenophobia really means? „Xenophobia implies a belief that a subject, person or thing is foreign in some way “ (quoted from Wikipedia.org).
Not being accepted or given equal rights has always been a problem of not only women, ethnic groups, etc., but quite often of people with just different ideas, living style or even visions. But those are issues dealt by philosophers, historians and politicians.
In my daily life I see little problems of my friends. For example Honza V. He has problems with dyslexia. Well, really big problems. In our class children do not like him, because he does absolutely different things then we do. He installs Windows, Linux and other programs, when we play on astreet or dance at disco. But you cannot say that we do not want to accept him. Many times we rang him home and we wanted to go out with him. But he did not want. But he has many „computer friends“ from all over the world and I think that he is happier than with us.
Another point of view, from ancient times, for history is one of my interests. Rome was rich, great, but people in Rome scorned „barbarian“ and „undemocratic“ nations like Germans, Britons, Celts and other nations. But by invading those „barbarians“, Rome enlarged its wealth, culture and knowledge.The worst form of xenophobia was the explotation of the prisoners of war as slaves.The only option for the slaves was the war, like Spartacus revolt.
So the xenophobia does not cause a big problem only to the oppressed, but even to the oppressors. Then elimination of xenophobia is of great benefit to both sides, immediately as well as the long-term calm.
There have always been some foreigners and always will be. It is interesting, as history shows us, some people were discriminated and later they became a very strong community, and paradoxically, also rather intolerant to other religions. For example Christians. Thinking about being a foreigner – means considering paradoxes like generation gaps, religious or racist intolerance, dislikes in music taste– and later in your life or when moving to another community your likes or dislikes change very much.
Because of paradoxes it might help to look at a dictionary or encyclopaedia definition of Xenophobia. Xenophobia comes from the Greek word xenos, which means „a foreigner“ or „a stranger“, and from the word phobos, „fear“. For example racism is sometimes desribed as a form of xenophobia, but in most cases rasism has nothing to do with real phobia. What xenophobia really means? „Xenophobia implies a belief that a subject, person or thing is foreign in some way “ (quoted from Wikipedia.org).
Not being accepted or given equal rights has always been a problem of not only women, ethnic groups, etc., but quite often of people with just different ideas, living style or even visions. But those are issues dealt by philosophers, historians and politicians.
In my daily life I see little problems of my friends. For example Honza V. He has problems with dyslexia. Well, really big problems. In our class children do not like him, because he does absolutely different things then we do. He installs Windows, Linux and other programs, when we play on astreet or dance at disco. But you cannot say that we do not want to accept him. Many times we rang him home and we wanted to go out with him. But he did not want. But he has many „computer friends“ from all over the world and I think that he is happier than with us.
Another point of view, from ancient times, for history is one of my interests. Rome was rich, great, but people in Rome scorned „barbarian“ and „undemocratic“ nations like Germans, Britons, Celts and other nations. But by invading those „barbarians“, Rome enlarged its wealth, culture and knowledge.The worst form of xenophobia was the explotation of the prisoners of war as slaves.The only option for the slaves was the war, like Spartacus revolt.
So the xenophobia does not cause a big problem only to the oppressed, but even to the oppressors. Then elimination of xenophobia is of great benefit to both sides, immediately as well as the long-term calm.
