It's a shame so many people can't function without being afraid/angry at a dehumanized "other". Sometimes it's outright malice (Syrian refugees today), sometimes it's softer but just as harmful ("the Japanese are going to take over the world!!" in the 1980s) and sometimes it's from within (Japanese and Italians in WWII, the entire history of black citizens in the USA).
And when a new "enemy" arrives that's more appealing than the old "enemy" we reclassify the old "enemy" to be on "our side" (i.e. Greeks, Italians, etc used to be considered non-white).
And when a new "enemy" arrives that's more appealing than the old "enemy" we reclassify the old "enemy" to be on "our side" (i.e. Greeks, Italians, etc used to be considered non-white).