White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appears to be running damage control after the geriatric United States President Joe Biden called a key U.S. ally “xenophobic.”
The country in question is none other than the Land of the Rising Sun: Japan, “Nihon” in the local parlance, the land of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Emperor Meiji, of Yukio Mishima and Osamu Dazai, of anime and the films of Yasujiro Ozu—which is not particularly well known for its openness to immigration.
At a campaign event in Washington, D.C., President Joe Biden characterized several countries, including China, Japan, and Russia, as struggling economically due to their xenophobic attitudes.
⚡️Biden accuses #Japan, #Russia, and #China of being xenophobic because they don't have immigration programs like the West :
— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) May 2, 2024
“Think about it. Why is China stalling so bad economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia?”
Because they’re xenophobic, they don’t want… pic.twitter.com/9puBO9Q3i1
“This election is about freedom, America and democracy. That’s why I badly need you. You know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Biden said, adding “We look to — the reason — look, think about it. 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 is what makes us strong. Not a joke. That’s not hyperbole. Because we have an influx of workers who want to be here and want to contribute,” he said.
This remark prompted White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to address numerous questions regarding the intent and implications of Biden’s statement. A reporter challenged the appropriateness of using such a pejorative term like “xenophobic” against an ally, prompting Jean-Pierre to explain that Biden was emphasizing the strength derived from the United States being a nation of immigrants, especially in light of recent attacks against immigrants.
“The word ‘xenophobic’ is a very pejorative and negative word, particularly to use against an ally. Is that what [Biden] meant?” a reporter asked.
Jean-Pierre responded by highlighting Biden’s focus on the U.S. identity as a country of immigrants, which she argued contributes to its strength.
“Look. Here is what I am saying. He was talking about who we are as a country. Right? He was talking about the importance about being a country of immigrants, especially as you see the attacks that we have seen very recently in the last couple of years, on those attacks on immigrants in particular. And so it is important for us to remember that we are a country of immigrants,” Jean-Pierre began, as quoted by The Daily Caller.
“I’m explaining what he was talking about and how he was — what he was focusing on in those comments — country of immigrants, it makes us stronger and it is important to be very clear about that. And the president’s always going to be really clear on speaking on issues that matter to the American people. We are a country of immigrants. That matters. And we’ve seen these attacks and so the president is never going to shy away from that,” Jean-Pierre continued, per the Caller.
Throughout the exchange, Jean-Pierre maintained that the essence of Biden’s remarks was to celebrate the U.S.’s foundational identity as a nation enriched by immigrants.
Despite her clarifications, Jean-Pierre did not confirm whether Biden would issue an apology to Japan, focusing instead on the broader message Biden intended to convey about the strengths derived from being a nation of immigrants.
To give the U.S. President his due, he’s not entirely off the mark when characterizing the oriental nation’s approach to outsiders—though the pejorative “xenophobic” is sure to cause offense, especially when levvied in tandem with attacks on Japan’s historic rivals of China and Russia. Japan’s immigration policy has historically been marked by a nativist approach, emphasizing a strong preference for maintaining a homogenous society. During the Meiji period (1868-1912), Japan began to modernize and opened up to the world, yet it remained selective about the influence of foreign cultures and people.
Post World War II, Japan’s immigration policies continued to be restrictive, reflecting the country’s insular attitude towards foreign residents. The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, established in 1951 and revised several times since, has been a key piece of legislation governing who can enter and reside in Japan. It wasn’t until the late 20th and early 21st century that significant changes began to occur, prompted by Japan’s demographic crisis and labor shortages. Despite these changes, Japan’s immigration policy is still considered strict compared to other G7 countries, with a strong emphasis on temporary labor and stringent assimilation requirements for permanent residents, underscoring a persistent nativist sentiment that prioritizes cultural homogeneity.
The cultural and ideological roots of Japanese nativism are deeply embedded in the nation’s historical context of isolation and the concept of ethnic homogeneity. One theory suggests that Japan’s centuries of seclusion under the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868), known as sakoku, significantly shaped its collective psyche, fostering a view of cultural and racial purity as central to national identity. This perspective was further entrenched during the Meiji Restoration, as leaders promoted the idea of a unique, unified Japanese spirit (Yamato-damashii) to strengthen the nation against Western influences.
Scholars like Befu Harumi argue that this nativism can also be traced back to Japan’s creation mythology, which emphasizes the divine origin of the Japanese archipelago and its people, reinforcing a sense of superiority and distinctness from other cultures. After Japan’s humiliating defeat in the Second World War, these attitudes persisted, influenced by U.S. occupation policies that simultaneously encouraged democratization and Westernization, yet also inadvertently underscored Japan’s uniqueness by imposing an “alien” political system, which some nationalists used to rally a return to “authentic” Japanese values.
