Biden Links 'Xenophobia' to India's Economic Slowdown. What is It?

New Delhi: Xenophobia refers to the feeling of fear, dislike, or prejudice against people from other countries or cultures. The word translates to a general sense of hatred of people and cultures, which can result in discrimination, hostility, or even violence directed towards particular groups which can be perceived as foreign or different.

Various factors like economic tensions, cultural differences, political ideologies, or historical grievances can fuel this emotion. Xenophobia can have major social, economic, and political outcomes, which can lead to social tensions, marginalization of certain groups, and hindering efforts towards diversity, inclusion, and international cooperation. 

The practice can be addressed by promoting understanding, empathy, and respect for diversity, as well as addressing underlying issues such as inequality and misinformation.

What Biden said

United States President Joe Biden called China, India and Japan “xenophobic” and said that xenophobia is hindering their economic growth. He said that these countries “don’t want immigrants” as "they're xenophobic".

Addressing a fundraising event in Washington for his 2024 re-elections campaign, Biden attributed immigration as the reason behind United State's economic growth. 

"One of the reasons why our economy's growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants," Biden said. 

"Why is China stalling so badly economically, why is Japan having trouble, why is Russia, why is India, because they're xenophobic. They don't want immigrants. Immigrants are what makes us strong," the US President added.