The Role of Anti-Americanism in the Contemporary European Identity Building

This paper argues that the surging anti-Americanism in Europe since 2003 has helped strengthen the European identity by shaping a political, economic, social and cultural “Other” — the U.S.—among the Europeans. It first surveys the contemporary European anti-Americanism including its historical roots, and then moves on to analyze its role in the current European identity building through examining two typical cases and empirical data from the Eurobarometer.