Pro-Americanism (also called pro-American sentiment and Americophilia) describes support, love, or admiration for the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, its government and economic system, its

foreign policy A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...

, the American people, and/or American culture, typically on the part of people who are not American citizens or otherwise living outside of the United States. In this sense, it differs from Americanism (American patriotism) , which can generally only be adhered to by American citizens or residents, although adherents of any of these may subscribe to overlapping concepts, such as

American exceptionalism American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is inherently different from other nations.Anti-Americanism, which is the fear or hatred of things American. Public opinion on the US

Although peoples embracing pro-American sentiments have necessarily shifted over time, in tandem with changing geopolitical circumstances, in recent years pro-Americanism has been strong or growing in regions such as the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, and certain countries in

central and eastern Europe Central and Eastern Europe is a term encompassing the countries in the Baltics, Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Southeast Europe (mostly the Balkans), usually meaning former communist states from the Eastern Bloc and Warsaw Pact in Europe. ...

Recent trends

Pro-Americanism declined in the late 2010s in Canada, Latin America, the Middle East, and the European Union, due in part to the strong worldwide unpopularity of the

Donald Trump administration Donald Trump's tenure as the 45th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican from New York City, took office following his Electoral College victory o ...

. However, pro-Americanism has risen sharply around the world in recent years, following the 2020 election of Joe Biden as America's new president, China's perceived mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, with overall global views of the United States returning to positive territory once more.

History

18th and 19th centuries

In the late 18th century, European monarchical powers such as France and Spain viewed America positively, as an ally or potential ally against their imperial rival Great Britain, with both countries supplying aid to the American revolutionaries. However, the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

also provided inspiration to the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

and various revolutions against Spanish rule in Latin America. These connections would later be recognized with grand gestures such as France's donation of the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...

(''Liberty Enlightening the World'') to the United States in 1886. European visitors such as

Alexis de Tocqueville Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (; 29 July 180516 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville (), was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, political philosopher and historian. He is best known for his works ...

often wrote glowingly of American dynamism and liberty, and America's lack of immigration controls spurred mass immigration from Europe that established a positive image of America as a land of freedom and opportunity in the European imagination. Meanwhile, following the opening up of Asian nations such as Japan and China to international trade, many Asians viewed America more favorably as a less nakedly imperialist nation compared to the European powers. However, America's imperialist expansion into the Pacific following its victory in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

in 1898 eventually put it on a collision course with Japan.

20th century

America won gratitude and favor from many Europeans for coming to the defense of Western Europe twice in the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and Second World Wars, while earning ire from enemies such as Germany and Japan. America earned further approval from Europeans, and later Asian countries such as Japan and Taiwan, for standing against its ideological opponents the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

and Communist China in the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. As part of the Cold War, America engaged in a global struggle with the Soviet Union to win hearts and minds, seeking to promote pro-Americanism in the developing world, often through foreign and military aid. Worldwide pro-American sentiment evaporated during America's protracted and unpopular

war in Vietnam The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

, with anti-American protests arising around the globe, but pro-American sentiment eventually made a comeback following America's withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975. America proved good at mollifying former wartime enemies, with former opponents such as Germany, Japan, and Vietnam all coming to embrace pro-Americanism by century's end. During the 20th century, Hollywood movies and other forms of popular culture proved a powerful vector for spreading American ideas and fomenting pro-American sentiments all around the world.

21st century

Countries around the world were highly sympathetic to the United States after the September 11th attacks, often viewing the attack on the U.S. as an attack on a free and open world. However, anti-American sentiments returned when the United States responded with highly unpopular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pro-Americanism rose with the election of

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

and fell with the election of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

before rising again with the election of Joe Biden and highly unpopular actions by America's adversaries such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's antagonistic actions toward most of its neighbors. In particular, neighbors of China who felt threatened by China's growing military might and aggressive treatment of border disputes, including India, Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan saw growing pro-American sentiment, as did eastern European nations such as Poland and the Baltic states who felt similarly threatened by Russia.

Pro-Americanism by region

India

During the

, India received extensive technological and military aid from the

, leading the United States to provide aid to India's rival

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

and causing the rise of Anti-American sentiment in India. However, since the end of the Cold War, pro-Americanism has been growing in India, especially as both India and the United States have come to see China as a shared rival. Pro-Americanism is especially high among educated and high-income Indians, but is present among Indians of all classes.

Japan

Following a brutal

war in the Pacific The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the Theater (warfare), theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, ...

between the two countries, pro-Americanism began to appear once more in Japan during the U.S. military occupation of Japan, which many Japanese came to view as having brought Japan freedom and democracy after years under a militarist regime. However, the presence of U.S. military bases remained a constant irritant, and the unpopular

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

provided another source of anti-American sentiment in Japan. Nevertheless, since reaching a postwar nadir during the massive 1960 Anpo protests against the

U.S.-Japan Security Treaty The , more commonly known as the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty in English and as the or just in Japanese, is a treaty that permits the presence of U.S. military bases on Japanese soil, and commits the two nations to defend each other if one or th ...

, pro-American sentiment has gradually risen in Japan, such that today, Japan is one of the most pro-American countries in the world. Historically, pro-Americanism was embraced by the "Old Right" in Japan, which sought to make common cause with the United States against worldwide communism, and aimed to gradually remilitarize Japan under the U.S. nuclear umbrella as a partner in the U.S.-Japan alliance, whereas the "Old Left, the "

New Left The New Left was a broad political movement mainly in the 1960s and 1970s consisting of activists in the Western world who campaigned for a broad range of social issues such as civil and political rights, environmentalism, feminism, gay rights, g ...

," and the "New Right" tended to embrace anti-American sentiments in seeking immediate break with America and the expulsion of U.S. military forces from Japanese soil. However, recent decades have seen the eclipse of the Left in Japan and the ascendancy of "Old Right" ideas over those of the "New Right," as seen in the popularity of former prime minister Shinzō Abe, who embraced the "Old Right" ideas of his grandfather

Nobusuke Kishi was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960. Known for his exploitative rule of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in Northeast China in the 1930s, Kishi was nicknamed the "Monster of the Shō ...

and worked closely with the United States in strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance.

South Korea

Pro-American sentiment has been strong in South Korea throughout the postwar era, as the threatening presence of North Korea has led South Koreans to make common cause with the United States against communism, most notably in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

and the

. Pro-Americanism tends to be especially strong among older South Koreans and conservative South Koreans, with conservative parties often flying American flags alongside the South Korean flag at marches and political rallies. Anti-American sentiment has appeared among younger South Koreans at times, especially in relation to crimes and accidents by US servicemen stationed in South Korea in the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as the

2008 US beef protest in South Korea The 2008 US beef protest in South Korea was a series of protest demonstrations made between 24 May 2008 and mid August 2008. against president Lee Myung-bak in Seoul, Korea. The protest involved several hundred thousand and at its height up to ...

in which the United States was viewed as bullying South Korea into accepting imports of American beef, which some South Koreans viewed as unsafe. However, with China recently increasingly seen as a threat to South Korea, pro-Americanism has been once again on the rise.

Africa

During the era of colonialism, Africans viewed the United States in a highly favorable light. Americans were seen as the "fearless guardians of freedom and equality" and the "conscience of the world" due to the United States' status as a powerful Western nation that was not involved in the colonization of Africa. Nigerian statesman and independence leader

Nnamdi Azikiwe Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe, (16 November 1904 – 11 May 1996), usually referred to as "Zik", was a Nigerian statesman and political leader who served as the first President of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966. Considered a driving force behind the n ...

described the United States as "God's country", stating: "deep in my heart I can honestly confess that the United States of America has impressed me as a haven of refuge for the oppressed sections of humanity in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the rest of the world". African newspapers such as ''The Lagos Standard'' highly idealized early American leaders such as

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

and

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

, while acknowledging but disregarding the fact that they were slave owners. African newspapers portrayed a highly mythicized life of African-Americans that made them seem equal and sometimes superior to whites. They praised African-American figures such as

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...

, Paul Robeson, and

W.E.B. du Bois William Edward Burghardt Du Bois ( ; February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an American-Ghanaian sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in ...

and highlighted the achievements of African-American entrepreneurs and farmers while often ignoring the racial segregation and discrimination that existed.

References

{{Authority control American studies Admiration of foreign cultures