Xenophobia
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- "…I have no issues with aliens myself—some of my best friends are nonhumans—but some grav-ball fans object to alien physiognomies, seeing them as giving nonhumans an edge."
- ―Janus Fhurek's xenophobic rationale for kicking Frid Kelio and Hench Sina off the AppSci SaberCats[1]
A group of xenophobic Sephi assaulting the humanJun Sato
Xenophobia, also known asspeciesism,[2] oranti-alien bias,[3] was dislike or prejudice toward individuals from other species or cultures.Zare Leonis regarded his formerathletic directorJanus Fhurek as xenophobic for excluding his twoalien classmatesFrid Kelio andHench Sina from theJunior Academy of Applied Sciences'sgrav-ball teamAppSci SaberCats.[4] Fhurek had objected to Kelio and Sina's presence on the AppSci SaberCats on the grounds that their alien physiognomies gave them an unfair advantage.[1] Leonis' experiences with Fhurek led him to believe that theGalactic Empire condoned prejudice toward individuals belonging to the "wrong species."[5] By the time of theBattle of Endor, it was widely known that the Empire pursued a xenophobic policy that favoredhumans and treated aliens as subjects or threats.[6]
History[]
Clone Wars[]
- "I don't trust anyone who isn't a Pyke."
- ―Marg Krim, toRafa Martez[7]
During theClone Wars, theConfederacy of Independent Systems consisted of several differentalien groups. According toEnsignEli Vanto, this combined with the devastation of the war created a lot of resentment amonghumans. While several alien species were allied with theGalactic Republic, there was still a prevailing perception that humans still carried most of the weight of the war effort. This sentiment carried on into theAge of the Empire.Core Worlds humans were known to look down on both humans and nonhumans from beyond theMid Rim, particularly people fromWild Space and theUnknown Regions.[8] Even before the war, some resented theNeimoidians for being part of theTrade Federation, includingSenatorPadmé Amidala, whosehomeworldNaboo wasinvaded by the NeimoidianViceroyNute Gunray, though Amidala knew she shouldn't hate an entire species because of the actions of a few of its members.[9]Marg Krim, thecrime lord of thePyke Syndicate towards theend of the Clone Wars, openly distrusted any individual who was not a member ofhis species.[7]
Galactic Empire[]
Humanocentrism[]
Main article:High Human
- "Well, officially we're not allowed to disrespect aliens, either. I say officially, because that what's the General Orders say we're supposed to do. But that's not always what we really do."
"You dislike nonhumans?" - ―Eli Vanto and Thrawn discussing xenophobia in the Empire[8]
Thrawn had to deal with anti-alien xenophobia in the Empire
TheGalactic Empire was known to favor humans while looking down on non-humans or "aliens".[10] As a result, the Empire's government andmilitary was largely dominated by humans, and it was rare to find nonhumans serving asImperial officers.[11] Even in systems where humans were comparatively rare, they were still more frequently promoted to positions of authority over other species.[12] While ImperialGeneral Orders instructed Imperial military personnel not to disrespect aliens, this was often ignored. TheImperial Navy andImperial High Command also commonly ignored theImperial Senate'sUnknown Alien protocols. TheImperial Academies were dominated by humans, and aliens likeThrawn found themselves having to navigate racial prejudice and outright hostility.[8] Imperial justice system was strongly biased against other species. Imperial soldiers were quick to target other species for investigation, even for minor crimes, and were more willing to use lethal force.[12] Not all Imperials disrespected aliens, however; the alienFreck fromMapuzo got along with three stormtroopers, whom he notably ferried at least once.[13] Anyway, the Empire's usual cruel treatment of aliens often forced them to either flee to theOuter Rim Territories or join theAlliance to Restore the Republic to counter.[14] Aliens who joined rebel groups to resist the Empire were exploited in propaganda, reinforcing stereotypes and deepening discrimination.[12]
This single-species domination was an intentional part of Imperial policy. Imperial propaganda actively supported state-sponsored ethnocentric xenophobia and fear-mongering. To the Empire, "aliens" were by and large unwelcome within its order, with aliens being seen as "different" and "strange". As such, the Empire treated nonhuman segments of its populations as serfs, slaves, or obstacles needing to be tamed, removed, or ignored. The Empire supported the idea that aliens were untrustworthy—unlike humans—and behind their veneer of innocence lurked vicious monsters. The Imperial propaganda machine was so effective in its message that evennear-human species exhibited an inherent distrust toward nonhuman populations.[6] Some people tried to clear and absolve themselves from suspicion of humanocentrism by claiming to have friends of a targeted demographic, all while expressing prejudice in their actions.[4]
The Empire implemented the "High Human" culture prevalently onCoruscant, their capital world, suggesting the superiority of the human race.[15] One of theEmperor's advisers,Janus Greejatus, hated the idea of living among aliens whatsoever and hoped to see non-humans removed from the Core Worlds andColonies regions, advocating to his fellow advisors that they be housed in reservations established within the Rimstar systems. To Greejatus, it was a logical idea. His fellow advisor,Pebimarus Xorn, instead argued aliens needed to be seen as a resource for the Empire's economy and used for their labor. Imperial GovernorVashin had thoughts on "species compatibility," a phrase understood bysenatorMon Mothma to be an euphemism used by human supremacists.[16]
Effects on aliens[]
- "My Great Grand-Nikto told me about the Empire. There were stories of the stormtroopers not being very nice to our people."
- ―Neeku Vozo[17]
Bodach'i slaves on Kerev Doi
Nonhuman species likeWookiees,[10]Mon Calamari,[18] theGeonosians,[19] thePetrusians,[20] and theBodach'i[21] were known to be exploited asslave labor by the Empire. The Empire repealed laws banning slavery and reclassified several species, particularly Wookiees, as non-sentient.[2] Other species such as the Geonosians,[22] theLasat,[23] and theSquamatans[24] experienced genocide at the hands of the Empire.[2] TheKubaz wereenslaved by the Empire to be turned into brainwashedspies. Even so,[25]stormtrooperTD-7556 distrusted the species as a whole, claiming he was not bigoted when he insulted the entire species without exception.[26]
During the Age of the Empire, some humangrav-ball fans onLothal believed that alien physiognomies gave nonhuman players an unfair advantage. While there was no official league rule against nonhuman players, some individuals likeJanus Fhurek did their best to exclude alien players from the grav-ball championship.[1] In addition, the Empire also discouraged the learning of alienlanguages and cultures such asIthorese, and sought to impose high 'Imperial standards' for its citizens.[27] Growing up with the adamantly xenophobic Empire, theTheelinChass na Chadic struggled to carve out an identity as herself without any guidance, due to seeing her heroes die fighting for freedom while left behind.[28] The discriminatory policies of the Empire forced some individuals like theNiktoRinnrivin Di to turn to a life of crime despite having the potential to become as powerful as the humanGrand MoffWilhuff Tarkin. Instead, Rinnrivin became a spice dealer who later rose to become thecrime lord of amajor cartel during theNew Republic era.[29] The Nikto were oppressed by the Empire and itsstormtroopers.[17]
Nevertheless, some nonhumans occupied lofty roles within the Empire, such as theChagrianMas Amedda, who served as the Empire'sGrand Vizier,[30] thePau'anGrand Inquisitor,[10] otherInquisitors such as theSeventh Sister, theFifth Brother,[31] theEighth Brother,[32] theNinth Sister[33] and theChissGrand Admiral Thrawn, who faced discrimination for his alien heritage.[34] Other nonhumans who worked with the Empire, either forcibly or voluntarily, were theKubazspyGarindan ezz Zavor[35] and theAqualishProtectorateGleb fromJinata Security.[36] Despite the ingrained xenophobia within the Imperial hierarchy, some Imperials likeMoffDelian Mors andAdmiralRae Sloane were willing to work with some aliens likeNashi theHutt[37] and theSullustan crime lordSurat Nuat.[27] Imperial law-enforcement authorities also hired alien bounty hunters like theTrandoshanBossk.[38]
The Rebellion's response[]
Rebel Alliance poster highlighting the plight of the Wookiees
The Rebel Alliance'sDeclaration of Rebellion condemned Emperor Palpatine and his Empire for instituting a policy of blatant speciesism and genocide against the nonhuman peoples of the galaxy.[2] Xenophobia appeared not to be limited to the Empire. The rebelSaw Gerrera, who was known for his harsh methods and tactics, disliked the Geonosians due to his Clone Wars experiences and labeled them "bugs." His harsh interrogation ofKlik-Klak alarmed hisSpectres comrades.[39]PrincessLeia Organa ofAlderaan referred to the WookieeChewbacca as a "walking carpet" during herrescue aboard theDeath Starbattle station in0 BBY.[40]
Following theBattle of Yavin, theAlderaanianJora Astane expressed disgust that the Alderaanian diaspora on the planetEspirion had intermingled with the indigenousEspirion. The mixed-bloodedChiefBeon Beonel took offense and refused to have anything to do with the Alderaanian diaspora led by Leia Organa.[41] Leia managed to repair the schism withR2-D2's help by beaming a speech to him. As a result, Beonel helped the Alderaanian refugees defeat anImperial Star Destroyer.[42]
After theBattle of Endor, the New Republic reversed many of the Empire's policies including compensating alien species who had been enslaved by the Empire.[21] In5 ABY,Han Solo, Chewbacca and their allies helped inspire aWookiee slave revolt onKashyyyk, which ended the Imperial subjugation of Wookiees.[6] New Republic forces subsequently liberated more Wookiee slaves including Chewbacca's sonLumpawaroo.[43]
During theBattle of Jakku,Counselor to the EmpireGallius Rax gave aspeech denouncing the New Republic as a government given over to "corrosion, chaos, and the corruption born of alien minds and radical terroristic teachings." He went on to add that their New Republic opponents were subhuman and alien in every sense of the word and deserved no mercy from the Galactic Empire.[43]
First Order[]
- "The First Order doesn't generally take on nonhumans. They say it's because the armor is made to fit only a certain body type."
"That's because nobody likes to say the wordxenophobia out loud." - ―Former First Order CaptainArchex andResistance agentVi Moradi[44]
By theCold War, xenophobia appeared to have resurfaced in the propaganda and labor policies of theFirst Order, that emulated the "Old Empire."Propaganda news feeds fromFirst Order High Command carried reports of the New Republic tolerating unchecked alien advances throughout the Outer Rim Territories. In addition, a majority of the miners involved in the First Order'smining colony inPressy's Tumble were from various alien species includingTalz,Gran,Rodians,Abednedo, andNarquois but included a few humans.[45]CaptainPhasma once criticizedAgentTerex's predilection to have nonhuman servants and refused to discuss hismission until he dismissed them.[46]GeneralArmitage Hux also referred to Chewbacca as a "beast" uponcapturing him onPasaana.[47] The vast majority of the forces of theFirst Order military were humans. They gave the reason for this as the fact thattheir armor was only manufactured to fit the human body. However, it was generally understood that the true reason for this was xenophobia.[44]
Nevertheless, as with the Empire, there was still at least one nonhuman who had a lofty position within the First Order: the humanoidSnoke, the First Order'sSupreme Leader.[48] Another alien who served the Order was theSymeongmetalsmithAlbrekh, who worked as aSith alchemist[15] for theKnights of Ren when they joined the Order.[47] Like the Empire, the First Order also associated with aliens to achieve its goals, such as theQuarrenpirateKragan Gorr and hisgang, whom the First Order hired to attack theColossusrefueling station.[49] Nonhuman informants and spies, like the Twi'lekMarnia Un'la'na,[50] theKeteerianTeroj Kee[51] and the NiktoNenavakasa Nalor[52] also worked for the Order. OnIkkrukk, someIkkrukkianssympathized with the Order andbattled against the Ikkrukkian resisters ofGrail City.[53]
Others[]
In theUnknown Regions, theChiss Ascendancy looked down on non-Chiss species, seemingly not even respecting that their intelligence could equal their own. Indeed,CommodoreAr'alani of theChiss Expansionary Defense Fleet did not see aliens as people, comparing them to smart animals, until she visited the world ofSolitair, homeworld of theGarwian Unity. Faced withGarwian culture, she came to realize non-Chiss species were indeed sentient like herself, but her colleague Thrawn admitted he only viewed non-Chiss as assets. Ar'alani's respect for the personhood of non-Chiss proved vital in thebattle over Primea, as her insight ensured theVak Combine joined the fight against theNikardun Destiny. Thrawn, meanwhile, still viewed these species as assets,[55] but he would come to join the Galactic Empire and form a close relationship with humanEli N. Vanto. When Vanto joined the Ascendancy, a number of Chiss resented the human initially, distrusting him until he proved his worth.[56]
TheKaldana Syndicate, a criminal syndicate that operated in theCorellia system around13 BBY, consisted solely of humans, hating anything and anyone that wasn't human. They believed that all aliens were a problem, especially Rodians, whom they considered the scourge of the galaxy.[54]
Xenophobia, however, was not the sole province of humans nor the Galactic Empire: theSand People ofTatooine were renowned for their aggression toward outsiders[57] and so were theSephi ofIsobe.[58] The carnivorous, warlikeEzaraa species also expressed xenophobic attitudes in their desire to overthrow the Empire and replace it with their own dominion where they would "consume the flesh of all the lesser species".[59]
Before theBattle of Naboo, theGungans disliked outlanders, especially theNaboo, though this changed after Padmé Amidala convincedBossRugor Nass to join forces against theTrade Federation's invasion.[60]
Behind the scenes[]
The idea of a xenophobic Galactic Empire was explored inStar Wars Legends literature and media. According toJason Fry, theLucasfilm Story Group had worked out that the Galactic Empire in the newcanon universe was not "openly or uniformly" xenophobic. However, he reasoned many staunch Imperials like theServants of the Empire antagonist Janus Fhurek were also committed xenophobes.[61]Thrawn would later depict the xenophobia of the Empire in practice; while officially Imperials were not allowed to disrespect non-humans, Imperials still would.[8]
In his production notes forA New Dawn,John Jackson Miller clarified that the Sullustan characterZaluna Myder being called a "creature" by an Imperial officer was a reference to the "species-ism" that existed within the Empire.[62]
Appearances[]
Sources[]
- Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide
- Star Wars Helmet Collection: Tusken RaiderHelmets: Tusken Raiders
- Star Wars Rebels: Visual Guide: Epic Battles
- Star Wars: Aliens of the Galaxy
- Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy
- No Disintegrations
- Much to Learn You Still Have: 8 Things You Might Not Know About Geonosians onStarWars.com(backup link)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection: Naboo Royal GuardDatabank A-Z: Tauntaun–TIE Craft
- Star Wars Helmet Collection: Commander WolffeWeapons & Uniforms: Grand Admiral Thrawn(First identified as anti-alien bias)
- Dawn of Rebellion
- "Blasters and Ranged Weapons" —Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
Notes and references[]
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