US President Joe Biden labeled India, China, and Japan “Xenophobic” nations that do not welcome immigrants. This is the reason for their economic backwardness, according to Biden.
He contrasted this to the immigration situation in the US.
What Is Xenophobia?
The fear or dislike of anything that is thought to be unfamiliar or foreign is known as xenophobia. It is an expression based on the belief that there is conflict between an in-group and an out-group. It can show up as members of the other group being suspicious of the activities of the group under suspicion, as a desire to eradicate the presence of the group under suspicion, or as a fear of losing one’s identity—racist, national, or ethnic.
How Is It Relatable Now?
Three weeks had passed since the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, paid a glitzy official visit to the White House, wherein the two leaders celebrated what Biden referred to as an “unbreakable alliance,” particularly on matters of international security. Biden made these remarks on Wednesday night at a campaign fundraising event.
During a state visit last summer, the Indian prime minister, Narenda Modi, was welcomed at the White House.
One important US ally is Japan. Furthermore, India, whose economy is among the fastest expanding in the world, is a crucial Indo-Pacific partner.
Speaking to a predominantly Asian American donor audience at a hotel fundraiser, Biden stated that the US election was about “freedom, America, and democracy” and that the country’s economy was prospering “because of you and many others.”
“Why? because immigrants are welcome here,” Biden stated. “Look, consider it. Why is China’s economy stalling out so badly? Why is everything in Japan going wrong? Why does Russia exist? For what reason is India? Due to their xenophobia. They oppose immigration.
“Immigrants are what makes us strong,” the President said. Not a jest. That’s not hyperbole—a growing number of workers want to work here and make a contribution.
Neither the Indian government nor the Japanese government responded right away. Biden was stating a more general argument regarding the US stance on immigration, according to White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.
When questioned about Biden’s “xenophobic” comments on Thursday morning, Kirby responded, “Our allies and partners know well in tangible ways how President Biden values them, their friendship, their cooperation and the capabilities that they bring across the spectrum on a range of issues, not just security related.” They are aware of how highly he regards the concept of partnerships and alliances.
Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat and one of only two senators of Asian American origin, introduced Biden at the event, which coincided with the beginning of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. She is serving as his reelection campaign’s national co-chair.
Situation In Japan And India:
According to data revealed in February, Japan has acknowledged problems with its declining population. In 2023, the country saw a decline in the number of newborns born for the eighth consecutive year. Kishida has referred to Japan’s low birth rate as “the biggest crisis Japan faces,” and while the nation has historically taken a more restrictive approach to immigration, in recent years his administration has changed its laws to make it simpler for foreign workers to enter the country.
India now boasts the highest population in the world, with an estimated 1.425 billion people living there, according to the UN. Also, the population is skewed younger.
A new citizenship rule that expedites the naturalization process for those who are Hindu, Parsi, Sikh, Buddhist, Jains, and Christian who have immigrated to India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan was passed by India earlier this year.
However, it leaves out Muslims, who make up the majority in all three countries.
India has never before established religious requirements for citizenship.
