Thai Xenophobia

[beammeup]

This thread has it all: the good, the bad and the ugly.

I tended to veer to the not xenophobic side yesterday. Then I started thinking about it.

I do know that teachers in our local school tell the kids that farang are dirty and not as good as Thais.

I have received terrible or rude service here, but usually put it down to belligerent foreigners who came before me.

When all is going well, my villagers are kind and helpful, but one mishap (like my dog biting a Thai man who came into my yard and then gave me a Bt3,000 bill for rabies shots), and they all run and hide. Only one told me not to make a fuss and just pay because the man's family was big in the village.

But, the villagers all took turns staying with a farang friend hospitalised after a bike accident.

I try to be respectful and quiet, visit people in hospital, attend funerals, etc. But am I really accepted? In the end, I believe not.

I guess the best test would be whether your Thai neighbours/friends would come to your rescue if you were accused of a major crime. Would they shun you even if the charges were false? But, would friends help you if you were back home?

Far Eastern Economic Review did a survey on racism/xenophobia in Asia several years ago. (Help me out here, FEER readers.) Questions included would you allow your daughter/son to marry a foreigner? Would you work for a foreign company? Thailand was definitely ranked in the top three if not the most xenophobic nation. (Tried to research this, but could not find the story.)

Xenophobic or not, I love Thai people. Those who moved to a different village will stop in to see me even a year later if they are within 10km of my home. Neighbours act as silent security, message carriers, and surprise food suppliers. Those who know my face always call out my name and ask how I am when I pass by. A few of those a day and I'm a happy camper.

I am sure we could all be accused of being Xenophobic by what we say sometimes including Jet Gorgon and his xenophobia towards Canada. All these generalizations are pretty Illogical. Some Thais are Xenaphobic and some aren't. They are raised and educated differently. Who cares? I am here as a guest. I don't want to force them to accept our (your) standards. Maybe thats why they appear so Xenaphobic because you walk in here and expect them to behave your way. Are you not aware of the prime directive?. Do not interfere. Live and let live. Stop trying to Colonize this country. Perhaps its too late.

[kiakaha]

At the essence of it all, our species is governed by the fundamental laws of nature.Our intra-species tribes(races,ethnicitys,nationalities) are territorial.Although other territorial/tribe orientated species dont communicate with our language system, I am sure that in their social dymanic they have grunts,howls and screams analogous to the sound we make with the word xenophobia.

Edited January 23, 2007 by kiakaha

[kmart]

I find it amasing that terry57, a person that doesn't live here, knows so much about the place... or atleast he has opinions on how we should feel about it or interprete reality.

If you want to know if there is any xenofobia (or rascism), just ask your wife/girlfriend/last bargirl - more times then not they will answer honestly if you atleast ask about another color/location-group then yourself.

And yes, many thai's I've meet say they don't like colored people for instance...

You don't have to live in a place to know about it!

You ask your BKK bargirl about Isaan women, she will tell you bad things. If you ask your bargirl about blacks she will tell you bad things. Why? You ever realised that thai women are "forced" to have as much a light skin as possible? I've never seen so many "lighting" products as in Thailand, it's dominated by thai men who prefer a light skin. It has nothing to do with xenophobia, it's to do with dark skin. My wife, who has dark skin for a thai, many times asked me if I don't mind. I told her that people in Europe pay a lot of money to get a darker skin!

To close up: I asked my wife and many others: no xenophobia!

Joe

[JacknDanny]

i dont live here but busting a leg to get here full time and have been coming to los for the last 20 years 3 times a year.

i have never noticed it.

lets get this narrowed down then,

so is the question aimed at the white farang or is the question in general.

let me know what i need to answer too.

thanks.

Sorry, but i hope for you that you will keep not noticing the rising xeonophobia here once you come to live full time in Thailand. Maybe it's a language issue, as mostly xenophobia is not really in your face here, as not much is in Thailand, but expressed in the here typical subtleties that can be extremely insulting nevertheless if you understand the code.

Regularly encountered certain persistent questions and assumptions about your private affairs regarding your Thai wife, what your Thai wife's former profession might have been in their eyes as no Thai women not of that vocation would ever think of living with a foreigner, or the number of wifes you as a foreigner definately must have is a behavior that people here would never dare to insist upon with a fellow Thai who is not a very closed friend, who might do that in a jokingly matter, but only to a certain degree.

Away from toursit areas, and under themselves Thais are extremely formal people to strangers, and asking certain personal questions is a definate cultural tabu, which increasingly though does not hinder many to change their behavioral pattern when encountering foreigners.

These questions about your personal affairs might sound perfectly innocent curiosity, and often are so, but on many occasions they are not. You will understand that by the choice of words, and the general tone that is more aimed at taking the piss and reconfirming the stereotype of farang being a combination of rich, daft and completely oversexed, and simply not intelligent enough to ever understand Thai cultural nuances.

So far, the extremely ugly violent xenophobia is rarely encountered here, but i fear that in the not too distant future Thailand will catch up there as well with the rest of the world.

And paired with clearly disadvantageous legislations, and by this government more so than the last one even, this is slightly concerning.

My mind was almost changed about you ColPyat, when you have to go and spoil a reasonable post by adding a silly last sentence!!!

[Jet Gorgon]

This thread has it all: the good, the bad and the ugly.

I tended to veer to the not xenophobic side yesterday. Then I started thinking about it.

I do know that teachers in our local school tell the kids that farang are dirty and not as good as Thais.

I have received terrible or rude service here, but usually put it down to belligerent foreigners who came before me.

When all is going well, my villagers are kind and helpful, but one mishap (like my dog biting a Thai man who came into my yard and then gave me a Bt3,000 bill for rabies shots), and they all run and hide. Only one told me not to make a fuss and just pay because the man's family was big in the village.

But, the villagers all took turns staying with a farang friend hospitalised after a bike accident.

I try to be respectful and quiet, visit people in hospital, attend funerals, etc. But am I really accepted? In the end, I believe not.

I guess the best test would be whether your Thai neighbours/friends would come to your rescue if you were accused of a major crime. Would they shun you even if the charges were false? But, would friends help you if you were back home?

Far Eastern Economic Review did a survey on racism/xenophobia in Asia several years ago. (Help me out here, FEER readers.) Questions included would you allow your daughter/son to marry a foreigner? Would you work for a foreign company? Thailand was definitely ranked in the top three if not the most xenophobic nation. (Tried to research this, but could not find the story.)

Xenophobic or not, I love Thai people. Those who moved to a different village will stop in to see me even a year later if they are within 10km of my home. Neighbours act as silent security, message carriers, and surprise food suppliers. Those who know my face always call out my name and ask how I am when I pass by. A few of those a day and I'm a happy camper.

I am sure we could all be accused of being Xenophobic by what we say sometimes including Jet Gorgon and his xenophobia towards Canada. All these generalizations are pretty Illogical. Some Thais are Xenaphobic and some aren't. They are raised and educated differently. Who cares? I am here as a guest. I don't want to force them to accept our (your) standards. Maybe thats why they appear so Xenaphobic because you walk in here and expect them to behave your way. Are you not aware of the prime directive?. Do not interfere. Live and let live. Stop trying to Colonize this country. Perhaps its too late.

I think you misconstrued my comments, Beamer. Please reread my post, especially the last paragraph. I am a firm supporter of live and let live. Colonise? Prime directive? What are you going on about?

[Jai Dee]

So do ordinary Thai people show any xenophobic tendencies at all, no. Why would they? Why risk being seen to be xenophobic when your government is xenophobic enough for everyone? That seems to be the best face saving solution of all.

I don't usually make any comment in these kinds of threads... but for some reason I found this to be incredibly funny.

And you're right Jet... this thread has it all... the good, bad, and ugly.

[jumnien]

In nine years here, my experience isn't that Thais in general are more fearful of foreigners than anyone else. However, I have to admit that I am. For instance, I love flying asian airlines back to my home country because I far prefer to be amongst asians. The thought of spending 24 hours door to door with a plane full of farang from Thailand disgusts me. I'm farang, but we're only tolerable in small groups at best. I've always said that I would move back to California if they shipped all the Californians over here and all the Thai people over there.

[Jet Gorgon]

Too true, Jai Dee. I usually only see you adding news clippings and gently chastising transgressors of TV rules.

I do not know all the members, but so far only you and Bendix are in my classy, erudite, make-no-stupid-off-the-cuff remarks group. I am sure there are many more, just haven't been a member long enough to view all the good comments.

Nice to see you take a break and show your funny side, Jai Dee.

[icecubes]

I am sure we could all be accused of being Xenophobic by what we say sometimes including Jet Gorgon and his xenophobia towards Canada. All these generalizations are pretty Illogical. Some Thais are Xenaphobic and some aren't. They are raised and educated differently. Who cares? I am here as a guest. I don't want to force them to accept our (your) standards. Maybe thats why they appear so Xenaphobic because you walk in here and expect them to behave your way. Are you not aware of the prime directive?. Do not interfere. Live and let live. Stop trying to Colonize this country. Perhaps its too late.

I prefer, paying customer. rather than guest

In 9 years I have never felt like a guest in Thailand.

More like a walking ATM machine.

This does not mean I dislike the Thaïs, its just the way I feel

Have a nice day.

[Jet Gorgon]

Beammeup, one more thing: I am a girl.

[frodo]

This thread has it all: the good, the bad and the ugly.

I tended to veer to the not xenophobic side yesterday. Then I started thinking about it.

I do know that teachers in our local school tell the kids that farang are dirty and not as good as Thais.

I have received terrible or rude service here, but usually put it down to belligerent foreigners who came before me.

When all is going well, my villagers are kind and helpful, but one mishap (like my dog biting a Thai man who came into my yard and then gave me a Bt3,000 bill for rabies shots), and they all run and hide. Only one told me not to make a fuss and just pay because the man's family was big in the village.

But, the villagers all took turns staying with a farang friend hospitalised after a bike accident.

I try to be respectful and quiet, visit people in hospital, attend funerals, etc. But am I really accepted? In the end, I believe not.

I guess the best test would be whether your Thai neighbours/friends would come to your rescue if you were accused of a major crime. Would they shun you even if the charges were false? But, would friends help you if you were back home?

Far Eastern Economic Review did a survey on racism/xenophobia in Asia several years ago. (Help me out here, FEER readers.) Questions included would you allow your daughter/son to marry a foreigner? Would you work for a foreign company? Thailand was definitely ranked in the top three if not the most xenophobic nation. (Tried to research this, but could not find the story.)

Xenophobic or not, I love Thai people. Those who moved to a different village will stop in to see me even a year later if they are within 10km of my home. Neighbours act as silent security, message carriers, and surprise food suppliers. Those who know my face always call out my name and ask how I am when I pass by. A few of those a day and I'm a happy camper.

Good post Jet Gorgon. I rarely get involved in these type of threads for the simple fact people's minds are set; no matter what logic, examples, or evidence is presented, most posters will defend their position, no matter what.

You mentioned about teachers in your local school talking about foreigners, and I too can vouch for that. A few years back when living in Bangkok I was riding a bus home and an M5 student sat next to me. This student never spoke in class but was polite. On this particular day I was shocked to say the least. He began telling me how foreigners and especially foreign buisness have ruined Thailand forever. He started babbling how the economic collapse of 97 was entirely on the shoulders of ALL foreigners, including myself. There was no logic at all; only blame to each and every foreigner. Teachers on this board will understand how this is highly uncharacteristic of a Thai student. In 97, this kid would have been about 9-years old. Where did this "hate" or "xenophobia" come from? I highly doubt he was able to form this mindset at that age. I sometimes wonder, how many people feel this way, but will never speak how they really feel. Hide feelings behind a "fake" smile.

I rarely I go into Bangkok anymore for the simple reason, I don't like what I see or hear. I live in one of the provinces and have had no problems. The neighbors, as you described, are helpful, friendly, will offer food and the like, and I am grateful for that. Bangkok is another story. I've had vendors mumble "F*** you" after I've been grabbed and a totally worthless product literally shoved into my face. I've never said anything, never gave an indication of wanting to buy this crap, yet, telling me to F-off, saying other insulting words is not what I consider to be a LOS.

No, I am not anti-Thai. I don't, however, appreciate from anyone, being told to F-off, being called rude names or being refused service when asked about triple-pricing on a menu. Again, the area where I live is outstanding. I've never had a problem in 3-years, everyone seems happy and goes about their own business. There is a lot of reciprocating and it makes Thailand and life, enjoyable.

Not everyone is xenophobic, but it does exist. For anyone to deny it doesn't exist, or that it is warranted needs to look again. The reasons, which I believe are learned, are not valid. When an M5 student makes such harsh, irrational statements such as those mentioned, something is horribly amiss.

[kmart]

A simple question to gauge perceived xenophobia amongst Thais would be to ask Western posters here just how many actual Thai friends they have?

I mean real reciprocal friends and good neighbours who would help you without hesitation, and not say, the wife's brother / cousin who gives you a lovely sneer when you give him money for growing his fingernail... *sorry*

Without rudeness and bigotry( ) I'm happy to report that I have a few Thai friends here who i know I could trust during rough times. This thought sustains me through the snide comments and mild disdain of a lot of local people who only lack the self-confidence and courage to engage you in outright hostility.

[Jet Gorgon]

Wow, Frodo, great to hear from you and your comments. The f-word from a Thai person is shocking. I occasionally use it as an adjective with farang friends, but NEVER around Thai people. It is so insulting to them and it lowers their respect for you. Someone taught me the Thai equivalent and told me to NEVER use it. (Oh, why did you teach me that?) I only used it once when a teenager got on the train at a stop when I was enroute to BKK. I was having a smoke between carriages. He came over and grabbed my breasts. I was so appalled the words just came out. They worked well. The boy immediately backed off and jumped off the train.

[Jai Dee]

Perhaps we should be asking if you think the Thais are any more xenophobic than anyone else?

Without getting racist of course...

[Jet Gorgon]

Perhaps we should be asking if you think the Thais are any more xenophobic than anyone else?

Without getting racist of course...

Um, I think only if another people's livelihood, liberty, rights, and safety are at stake. Where should we start?

[terry57]

The first dozen times I came here I didn't notice it either, too busy having too much fun, but when I actually moved here and lived a "normal" life it was very obvious.

I haven't read all the thread, but this sums it up for me.

Anyone who says that Thais are not rascist or xenophobic probably hasn't lived here long or has their eyes closed or can't speak Thai.

has anyone mentioned the pronoun 'mun' that Thais use when talking to farang or about farang?

I've read most of it - but not all.

Guesthouse and few others are spot on.

I first came to Thailand in 1974, and was living and working here until 1983 when I left, because, amongst other reasons, I started to understand the language and the Thais better ( I was the only farang in a Thai company) and I realised that farangs weren't really welcome - just tolerated for what they could contribute, particulkarly when dealing with overseas customers/international business due to their woeful knowledge of English.

This mild resentment has escalated over the past 30 years, for all the reasons outlined so eloquently in Guesthouse's post, and particularly since the late nineties, it has developed into full blown resentment and hatred of foreigners, egged on by Herr Thaksin and his cohorts - and latterly the bumbling Dad's Army.

My wife is a lovely lady (you'll have to take my word for this ), but if she had her way, she wouldn't let a farang own one square foot of her beloved Thailand, and the sooner Tesco and their fellow foreign devils get on their bikes and give Thai businesses back to the Thais, the happier she will be. She reads the Thai newspapers avidly every day, and watches all the news broadcasts. I have no doubt that she is a fairly typical 'brainwashed' member of the Thai working classes.

i must be xenophobic, as if i had my way foreigner's would not be able to own land in australia.

we have the rediculous situation where any foreigner with enough money can walk in and buy land.

the japanese own most of queensland, bringing there own people in, and the money goes strait back to japan.

because they are so rich the price of land has sky rocketed because they can afford to pay any price.

who loses?

the average australian who can no longer afford to buy land and a house.

im lucky, i already have my own realestate but there's a generation of australians who will have nothing.

why should our government allow foreigner's to buy land?

i consider thailand is protecting its own interested by blocking foreigner's from owning land and what is wrong with that. ?

its not your country and you are only a visitor even if you live there.

under your definition they are xenophobic. under my definintion they are protecting there own country being bought up by foreigner's.

actually you can own land in thailand.

if you invest 2,000,000 baht you can own 1 rai.

sounds fair enough to me.

[chuchok]

The first dozen times I came here I didn't notice it either, too busy having too much fun, but when I actually moved here and lived a "normal" life it was very obvious.

I haven't read all the thread, but this sums it up for me.

Anyone who says that Thais are not rascist or xenophobic probably hasn't lived here long or has their eyes closed or can't speak Thai.

has anyone mentioned the pronoun 'mun' that Thais use when talking to farang or about farang?

I've read most of it - but not all.

Guesthouse and few others are spot on.

I first came to Thailand in 1974, and was living and working here until 1983 when I left, because, amongst other reasons, I started to understand the language and the Thais better ( I was the only farang in a Thai company) and I realised that farangs weren't really welcome - just tolerated for what they could contribute, particulkarly when dealing with overseas customers/international business due to their woeful knowledge of English.

This mild resentment has escalated over the past 30 years, for all the reasons outlined so eloquently in Guesthouse's post, and particularly since the late nineties, it has developed into full blown resentment and hatred of foreigners, egged on by Herr Thaksin and his cohorts - and latterly the bumbling Dad's Army.

My wife is a lovely lady (you'll have to take my word for this ), but if she had her way, she wouldn't let a farang own one square foot of her beloved Thailand, and the sooner Tesco and their fellow foreign devils get on their bikes and give Thai businesses back to the Thais, the happier she will be. She reads the Thai newspapers avidly every day, and watches all the news broadcasts. I have no doubt that she is a fairly typical 'brainwashed' member of the Thai working classes.

i must be xenophobic, as if i had my way foreigner's would not be able to own land in australia.

we have the rediculous situation where any foreigner with enough money can walk in and buy land.

the japanese own most of queensland, bringing there own people in, and the money goes strait back to japan.

because they are so rich the price of land has sky rocketed because they can afford to pay any price.

who loses?

the average australian who can no longer afford to buy land and a house.

im lucky, i already have my own realestate but there's a generation of australians who will have nothing.

why should our government allow foreigner's to buy land?

i consider thailand is protecting its own interested by blocking foreigner's from owning land and what is wrong with that. ?

its not your country and you are only a visitor even if you live there.

under your definition they are xenophobic. under my definintion they are protecting there own country being bought up by foreigner's.

actually you can own land in thailand.

if you invest 2,000,000 baht you can own 1 rai.

sounds fair enough to me.

No you can't.

[Jet Gorgon]

I know, Terry. I lived in Surfer's Paradise for a year back in the 70s. Shark fishermen and the Mousetrap bar. Nice people. Learned to pull a good beer at 6am. A friend went there in the 90s and said you have to speak Japanese to get anything. How about 7 mile beach?...

[terry57]

Perhaps we should be asking if you think the Thais are any more xenophobic than anyone else?

Without getting racist of course...

already asked that question last night and not 1 person has answered it.

the answer is "of course not", and this whole notion of the thais being xenophobic is total bollicks.

if they are guilty of anything, its protecting there country , people and culture.

i salute them and wish australia would have the guts to follow there example.

[Bananaman]

Xenophobia, racism, call it what you will, it exists and it exists at a grass-roots level. Example: There I am a few weeks back taking a songtaew home and it comes close to my place so I press the bell to get him to stop however the bell doesn't work so the Thai dude sat close to the driver's end of the cab bangs on the window and says in Thai "This farang wants to get off". Now being as we were the only two passengers in the cab, what was the need to indicate my ethnic origin? Why wasn't it enough just to say "there's a guy here who wants to get off" Imagine I was back in the UK on the bus and a non-caucasian passenger was in the same situation and I bellow to the driver "This black/coloured/Indian/Pakistani/Asian guy wants to get off" Yeah I'd be looking at a whole heap of trouble. The fact is that many Thais do stereotype westerners and the very fact that a single term can be used to label all of us is indicative of a basic ignorance of our respective cultures.

[Buckwheat]

if you invest 2,000,000 baht you can own 1 rai.

sounds fair enough to me.

No you can't.

Must be a misprint in the Lonely Planet Tourist Handbook

[terry57]

I know, Terry. I lived in Surfer's Paradise for a year back in the 70s. Shark fishermen and the Mousetrap bar. Nice people. Learned to pull a good beer at 6am. A friend went there in the 90s and said you have to speak Japanese to get anything. How about 7 mile beach?...

the australian government has sold of australia to foreigner's and its a disgrace.

we now got a lunitic muslem leader running around slaging of women and our way if life.

the government let him go.

in thailand he would be in the big tiger.

[TAWP]

You don't have to live in a place to know about it!

No, but it sure helps.

And perhaps it will (should) stop you from putting your foot in your mouth by attacking people that have been here for a long time.

You ask your BKK bargirl about Isaan women, she will tell you bad things. If you ask your bargirl about blacks she will tell you bad things.

Not everyone of us marrys bargirls - lift your head up and look around.

Why? You ever realised that thai women are "forced" to have as much a light skin as possible? I've never seen so many "lighting" products as in Thailand, it's dominated by thai men who prefer a light skin. It has nothing to do with xenophobia, it's to do with dark skin. My wife, who has dark skin for a thai, many times asked me if I don't mind. I told her that people in Europe pay a lot of money to get a darker skin!

The skin-issue has to do with the [thai-]chinese and their position of over-represented in the elite and their need to elevate themselfs to the highest rank.

I didn't say it had anything to do with xenofobia.

To close up: I asked my wife and many others: no xenophobia!

So your wife lies to you, cute.

[jumnien]

Xenophobia, racism, call it what you will, it exists and it exists at a grass-roots level. Example: There I am a few weeks back taking a songtaew home and it comes close to my place so I press the bell to get him to stop however the bell doesn't work so the Thai dude sat close to the driver's end of the cab bangs on the window and says in Thai "This farang wants to get off". Now being as we were the only two passengers in the cab, what was the need to indicate my ethnic origin? Why wasn't it enough just to say "there's a guy here who wants to get off" Imagine I was back in the UK on the bus and a non-caucasian passenger was in the same situation and I bellow to the driver "This black/coloured/Indian/Pakistani/Asian guy wants to get off" Yeah I'd be looking at a whole heap of trouble. The fact is that many Thais do stereotype westerners and the very fact that a single term can be used to label all of us is indicative of a basic ignorance of our respective cultures.

Excellent post, sums up a large part of the problem. A Thai man gently tries to help a foreigner who can't communicate verbally or using the bell. The foreigner feels afronted and unloved and abused. These ###### foreigners, you're damned if you do help them and damned if you don't!

[Jai Dee]

The fact is that many Thais do stereotype westerners and the very fact that a single term can be used to label all of us is indicative of a basic ignorance of our respective cultures.

The term "farang" is used extensively in Thailand... and is not usually meant in a derogatory way, and certainly not representative of ignorance. There are a lot of subjects already posted on ThaiVisa on this very issue.

[Jet Gorgon]

if you invest 2,000,000 baht you can own 1 rai.

sounds fair enough to me.

No you can't.

Must be a misprint in the Lonely Planet Tourist Handbook

Nice one, Buckwheat.

[chuchok]

Perhaps we should be asking if you think the Thais are any more xenophobic than anyone else?

Without getting racist of course...

Japanese

Korean

.

.

.

.

.

.

and Kiwis.

Edited January 24, 2007 by Jai Dee
Corrected for clarity.

[terry57]

if you invest 2,000,000 baht you can own 1 rai.

sounds fair enough to me.

No you can't.

Must be a misprint in the Lonely Planet Tourist Handbook

sorry larry, as i have made a mistake and please forgive me.

" you may be allowed to own up to 1 rai of land in your own name if you bring 40 million baht into the country, provided the land is used for residential use. "

actually that sounds much better to me as it keeps you rich falang from buying up land.

are we happy now.?

[chuchok]

if you invest 2,000,000 baht you can own 1 rai.

sounds fair enough to me.

No you can't.

Must be a misprint in the Lonely Planet Tourist Handbook

yep,a little gem.Terry, where do you get your stuff?

[terry57]

Xenophobia, racism, call it what you will, it exists and it exists at a grass-roots level. Example: There I am a few weeks back taking a songtaew home and it comes close to my place so I press the bell to get him to stop however the bell doesn't work so the Thai dude sat close to the driver's end of the cab bangs on the window and says in Thai "This farang wants to get off". Now being as we were the only two passengers in the cab, what was the need to indicate my ethnic origin? Why wasn't it enough just to say "there's a guy here who wants to get off" Imagine I was back in the UK on the bus and a non-caucasian passenger was in the same situation and I bellow to the driver "This black/coloured/Indian/Pakistani/Asian guy wants to get off" Yeah I'd be looking at a whole heap of trouble. The fact is that many Thais do stereotype westerners and the very fact that a single term can be used to label all of us is indicative of a basic ignorance of our respective cultures.

" falang " is a generic term used to describe all foreigner's and has absolutely nothing to do with being xenophobic.