"As the global expansion of Indian and Chinese restaurants suggests, xenophobia is directed against foreign people, not foreign cultural imports"

This quote by Eric Hobsbawm recommends that xenophobia is not directed versus foreign cultural imports, such as food, but rather versus foreign people. This is evidenced by the global expansion of Indian and Chinese dining establishments, which suggests that individuals are open to foreign cultural imports, but not always to foreign people. This could be due to the fact that individuals are more comfy with the concept of taking in foreign cultural imports than they are with the idea of interacting with foreign people. This might be since of a fear of the unknown, or since of a fear of cultural differences. Ultimately, this quote suggests that xenophobia is directed versus foreign individuals, not foreign cultural imports.