Xenophobia is defined as “an intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries.” It is also Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year. There are several factors playing into their selection, many of which made headlines throughout 2016.

The amount of immigrants surging into countries seems to have caused a worldwide panic, for lack of a better word, that has left a rift between two factions: pro-immigration and nationalists.

As a reporter, I don’t know which side is “right.” I don’t even know if there is a right side in all of this. However, I do know that 2016 has been more than just the recent hate. Maybe the good things have been overshadowed, but maybe we just need to be reminded of what 2016 has given us.

In January, Leonardo Dicaprio finally won a well-earned Oscar award for The Revenant. Can we all just take a moment and appreciate that underdog story?

February came and brought Superbowl 50, and for Denver Broncos fans, their win over the Carolina Panthers is a hard-earned victory.

March warmed relations between the United States and Cuba when President Barack Obama visited for a two-day tour. He was the first US President to visit since 1928.

Beyonce released Lemonade in April, the sixth album of her career. The release also included an hour-long HBO special. At the 2016 Grammy’s, Lemonade was nominated a total of nine times.

May was a month for Eurovision, the international TV song competition. This includes lots of national pride, fantastic performances, and strange, strange outfits. Ukraine’s Jamala won, singing “1944.”

June, the month of the dreaded Brexit vote, also brought also gave us Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 11 Tony Awards for the musical Hamilton, and a first NBA title for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Internationally, the city of Fallujah was freed from ISIS control.

Looking beyond our own blue planet, July was a good month for NASA; their Juno spacecraft entered Jupiter’s orbit. On Earth, the Pokemon Go craze began, and previously-successful 90’s kids are snapped back to chasing elusive Pokemon and catching way too many Rattatas.

The 31st Summer Olympics were held in Rio in August, and the United States brought home 121 medals, including 46 gold. Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps retired after winning his 4×100 relay.

September quickly became a month for scientific findings: a DNA study into giraffes found that there are actually four species, instead of the previously-thought one and NASA launched a probe to obtain rock samples from an asteroid. The 68th Emmy Awards were hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and awards were given to “Game of Thrones,” Julia Dreyfus and Rami Malek.

October brought accolades for the brightest thinkers. The Nobel Prize for Medicine, Economics, and Literature were awarded to humans around the globe. Makeup label CoverGirl appointed James Charles as their first every CoverBoy.

November became a big month for India, as they got rid of their 500 and 100 rupees notes and also celebrated the 50th anniversary of IR8, a specially-bred rice variety that prevented famine in most of Asia. The Broadway play Hamilton continued to set records with most money earned in one week- $3.3 million.

December has yet to pass, but with the Christmas holiday coming up, good things are surely ahead.

Xenophobia may have played a large part in headlines this year, but that doesn’t mean we’re stuck with the label. The year 2016 was more than just angry politicians and protests; it was also a year of victories, defeats, heartbreak and celebration. We just have to remember it.