Suppressed: The Nature of Czech Xenophobia
Suppressed: The Nature of Czech Xenophobia

Summary/Abstract: Reports from foreigners living in Prague list a number of woes in regard to Czechs’ unwelcoming behavior: the service in restaurants is terrible, nobody speaks English, if the locals even speak to you, they never smile, it’s not easy to befriend Czechs, they don’t invite you to their homes. The list seems to go on forever. The prevailing opinion holds that the exaggerated fear and dislike of strangers (xenophobia) is an ugly mark left by the socialist era – the period of the mass paranoia, distrust and reclusiveness. It is noteworthy, however, that compared to the neighboring Eastern states there is not a single far-right party in Czech politics – a rare occurrence on the pan-European scale. This doesn’t necessarily indicate the absence of xenophobic sentiments in the country, but rather sheds light on the suppressed and self-censoring nature of Czech racism.

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