The expat life can be rewarding, offering a chance to immerse oneself in a new culture, language, and way of life. However, it is not without its hurdles and heartaches. One of the most persistent issues expats face is xenophobia.
My first encounter with xenophobia occurred within the supposedly nurturing walls of an educational institution as an international student. One day, a classmate said that international students were “stealing” the places meant for American students. While the instructor stepped in to address the comment, what remained etched in my memory were the silent nods of agreement from other students. My chilling realization? These very classmates would one day graduate and enter the professional realm, carrying these biases towards international colleagues.
The experience of being an outsider, of being judged not for who you are but for where you are from, can range from mildly uncomfortable to deeply painful. Today, I would like to share four expressions of xenophobia that may have a major impact on those who are on the receiving end of it.
1. Blatant Xenophobia
You consistently outperform your peers. Yet, when promotion season rolls around, you are overlooked. If this occurs because of your nationality, accent, or cultural background rather than your capabilities or performance, it’s blatant xenophobia at play.
Denying promotions is not the only way immigrants are held back. Denying training and development opportunities can also make international workers feel excluded. When certain employees are consistently chosen for conferences, workshops, or skill-enhancing opportunities, and others—particularly those who don’t share the same nationality—are overlooked, it could be a case of xenophobia masquerading as “organizational decisions.”
2. Team Dynamics
Being in a position of power, like that of a manager, doesn’t shield one from xenophobic tendencies. A team’s lack of respect or trust in leadership due to the manager’s nationality or accent can undermine cohesion and productivity. It is a silent, yet deeply damaging, form of prejudice. Of course, a team member would rarely voice this outright, but rather find reasons to justify undermining such a manager’s authority, from questioning their “communication style” to sowing doubts about their expertise.
Sometimes these prejudicial team dynamics present themselves through casual comments, passed off as jokes during lunch breaks or team outings. For example, questions like “Do you see yourself going back to your country?” might seem like friendly curiosity, but they can reinforce the idea of the “perpetual foreigner”, serving as a subtle reminder that one does not truly belong.
3. Meeting Dynamics
Ever been in a meeting where your ideas are repeatedly ignored or attributed to someone else? Or where you are asked to validate your suggestions with excessive evidence, while others aren’t held to the same standard? That could be xenophobia subtly impacting the perceptions of your capabilities.
4. The Unintended Slights
Once I presented my research at a big conference (Hello #AERA) and received a comment that went like “You articulate your thoughts very well despite your accent.” I believe it was meant as a compliment, but it also brought a layer of belittling. Perhaps that presentation went well because I had put years of work into collecting data from over 1,200 participants and had the courage to put myself out there, despite my accent.
The workplace, a realm where talent and skills should take center stage, is not untouched by societal biases. This is why it’s crucial to recognize xenophobia, along with many other forms of prejudice, in all their manifestations. Recognizing them is the first step toward ensuring that talent, rather than background, dictates one’s professional trajectory. Creating space for dialogues about xenophobia and other prejudices is essential if we aspire to make our world, department, and office more inclusive and welcoming. The challenge with recognizing xenophobia or any other prejudice is that sometimes it’s so subtly expressed that only the recipient truly perceives it.
If you want to learn more about the roots and the consequences of xenophobia, and how to fight it, here are some open resources:
- Xenophobia: Understanding the Roots and Consequences of Negative Attitudes toward Immigrants.
- 5 Ways to Fight Racism and Xenophobia
- Measuring Structural Xenophobia
- Fighting Anti-Immigrant Hate and Xenophobia
Until next time!
Roque Neto 