I am xenia

To understand today’s xenophobia, it helps to go back in time.

Xenia is a set of Greek protocols concerning hospitality. The term is central to Homer’s Odyssey and comes from the Greek xénos, which means both “guest” and “stranger”.

Where and when has it gone wrong? Where and when have our cultures caused these two words to drift apart?

In our increasingly polarized societies, where xenophobia is exploited as an electoral strategy, it seems that “guest” and “stranger” couldn’t be further apart.

I am xenia.

I have lived under xenia for more than half of my life, in several different countries and cultures. But I have felt more like a guest than a stranger. Unfortunately, many of my fellow travel companions don’t share the same feeling.      

Words are powerful. If we can bring back the two words under the same meaning, we can replace integration and assimilation with hospitality.

With hospitality, trust comes naturally. And here I refer to hospitality among equals, not the condescending illusion of superiority that wishes to replace hospitality with supremacy.