For this reason among many, it is an excellent time to read or reread the archaic Greek poem which provides one of the most searching accounts in world literature of the ethics and psychology of xenia, a word which suggests “hospitality,” “foreign-ness,” or “the proper bond between visitor and host.” So there are good reasons to worry that xenophobia, the hostile fear of strangers, may be on the rise, and “xenophilia,” the love of strangers, is sadly a less common term in our current world. Last year the British government called a referendum, and a majority of those who cast ballots voted to leave the European Union-a move which was seen by many as a symptom of fear and resentment of foreign immigrants, especially among members of economically disadvantaged rural communities. Meanwhile in Europe, the past two years have seen an unprecedented wave of migrants and refugees, many of them risking their lives to flee conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. One of the few consistent goals of the Trump administration has been to restrict immigration, even for legal immigrants and refugees from certain countries, and to deport undocumented immigrants.
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