OAN’s Brooke Mallory
2:32 PM – Friday, May 3, 2024
President Joe Biden has labeled India and Japan, along with China and Russia, as “xenophobic” countries that do not welcome immigrants, while seeking to compare the United States with four other countries when it comes to immigration.
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Biden made the comments Wednesday night at a campaign fundraiser.
“Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Biden said. “Look, think about it. Why is China stalling so much economically? Why is Japan in trouble? Why Russia? Why India? They hate xenophobia. That’s why they don’t want immigrants,” Biden said.
“Immigrants make us stronger. I’m not kidding. That’s not an exaggeration, because we have an influx of workers who want to work here and who want to contribute,” he added. Ta.
Neither the Indian nor Japanese governments responded immediately.
It’s been just three weeks since the White House welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on a lavish state visit, during which time the two leaders shared what Biden called an “unbreakable alliance,” especially on international security issues. I celebrated my birthday. Japan is an important ally of the United States.
Additionally, the White House welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit last summer. Despite disagreements over human rights, India, one of the world’s fastest growing economies, is an essential partner for the Indo-Pacific region.
At an event at a hotel where the majority of attendees were said to be Asian American, Biden claimed the U.S. economy is thriving and said it’s because of “you and so many others.” Ta. He also said the upcoming US election is about “freedom, America, and democracy.”
White House national security press secretary John Kirby then tried to clear up the confusing statement, implying that Biden was simply trying to have a more general discussion about the US position on immigration. .
“Our allies and partners have made it clear that President Biden values them, their friendship, their cooperation, and the capabilities that he brings to the table on a wide range of issues, not just security-related. I know it well,” Kirby said after his speech Thursday morning. He asked about Biden’s “xenophobic” comments. “They understand how completely and completely he values the idea of alliances and partnerships.”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), one of two Asian American senators, introduced Biden at the event, which coincided with the beginning of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. did. She is the national co-chair of his re-election campaign.
It is true that Japan has historically taken a more restrictive approach to immigration, especially compared to the United States, since Biden took office. However, in recent years, laws have been revised in Japan to make it easier for foreign workers to enter the country.
“It’s not a diplomatic thing to say about one of America’s closest allies, especially since America has its own problems with xenophobia, which the Japanese see all the time in the news.” said Jeffrey Hall, lecturer in Japanese studies at Kanda University of International Studies. Chiba prefecture. “So it just seemed like something that didn’t need to be said in this context.” NBC News report.
“It will sound like America is disparaging the Japanese again,” Hall added. “And that’s not really an effective way to get Japan to solve society’s various problems…”
As for India, the country now has the world’s second-most population, according to a March 3 report.rd Report from the U.S. Census Bureau. A new citizenship law was passed in India earlier this year to speed up the naturalization process for Sikhs, Hindus, Parsis, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who migrated to India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
However, Muslims, who make up the majority in all three countries, are excluded.
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