RACISM V XENOPHOBIA

As a general observation there is a natural resistance on the part of host populations everywhere to the arrival in their midst of large numbers of newcomers. This is often ascribed to racism – properly defined as a belief in the superiority of one’s own racial grouping and an antagonism to others – but labelling people as ‘racist’ is all too often used merely to justify ignoring their natural concerns. ‘Racist’ is a politically weaponised term of abuse designed to smear the opposition and close down the debate – for who can prove themselves innocent? Of course, ‘racism’ in its purest form might sometimes be present, but it is not the only, nor necessarily the most important factor: more relevant is the concept of xenophobia – a fear of foreigners. For, while all racists are xenophobes, not all xenophobes are racist. Xenophobia is an exaggerated fear or mistrust of that which is foreign and unfamiliar. It is often bracketed with racism, but the two should not be confused; they are quite distinct. For instance, it is quite possible that a white Briton and a black Briton might share a fear and mistrust of immigrants from, say, Germany. That might make them xenophobes, but not necessarily racists; in fact, their fear is directed at someone of the same racial category – Caucasian. Xenophobia arises from a shared group identity (in this instance, being British), not from an exclusively racial identity