Advance – an English Speaking Club in Hanoi

Xenophobia is a fear or dislike of outsiders.  Yet, there exists an opposite perspective called xenophilia. A xenophile  is a person who is attracted by foreign things such as objects, people,  styles or customs.
  Do you feel excited when you make acquaintance  with a foreigner? Have you ever invited a foreign guy to take part in a  birthday party of another friend of yours? If yes, you are probably a  xenophile. But don’t be ashamed,  xenophilia is not totally negative. If you set foot in another country,  and you are surrounded by the local people who are xenophiles, then you  can be welcomed on the red carpet or even treated like king. In stark  contrast, groups of religious, racial or sexual minorities have  experienced marginalization and mistreatment in many regions in the  world. Also, being a xenophile, you can drive pleasure from showing your  kindness and hospitality, which contributes to your well- being.
   In  general, Vietnamese people are labelled as typical xenophiles.  Nonetheless, when asked, most Vietnamese women said they don’t want to  marry a foreign man, though a Western guy is desirable to be added in  their friend/boyfriend list. Why it is the case? In social science,  xenophiles don’t necessarily have affection for real foreign people, but  they tend to fall for things that define or conceptualise that person.  Their affection sometimes originates from an idea of a collective  population which has been generalised. Most of the time, these  generalising comments are based on subjective perceptions rather than  facts or evidence.
   The answer to the question what causes xenophila  remains inconclusive. The compelling theory is that xenophilia is a  response to one’s negative feelings about his or her background. If you  was born in a poor or backward country, you are unconsciously prone to  welcome those whose background is superior to yours.
References:  https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-xenophilia.html
 
Questions to ponder:

 1. Do you think you are a xenophile or a xenophobe? What are the clues for being a xenophile?
 2. For whom your chemistry is stronger? A Vietnamese guy/girl or a foreign guy/girl?
 3. What are the benefits of xenophilia?
 4. Why do people become xenophiles or xenophobes?
 5. In Vietnamese context, xenophilia may create different problems in society. What are they? How to tackle these problems?
  6. Foreign English teachers are paid much higher than Vietnamese  counterparts. Is it fair? Does xenophilia involve? How to cope with  this?

Prepared by: Ngo Huy Tu