I think I would take it a bit further and say, the main cause for xenophobia is a cultural allowance of ethnic bigotry and discrimination. That translate very easily into something more deadly during economic hardship as citizens start looking for scapegoats.
It seems we didn't learn the moral lesson from our history with, first slavery and then imperialism.
Short post. But you spoke more truth than anything I read on Steemit brother.
Thank you bro. I agree with you that xenophobia is an after effect of ethnic discrimination. Thanks for sharing your perspective.