Xenophobia and the Variable Definition of People

Ursula K. Le Guin's Hainish cycle features many races cultivated by the original Hainish colonists when the voyaged across the starts roughly one million years ago. Through genetic engineering, as well as evolutionary adaption the Hainish races branched into distinct Hainish, Cetian, Athshean, and Terran subspecies. And yet xenophobia is rampant among the Terran colonists of New Tahiti/World 41/Athshean. Lead by Colonel Davidson, many of the colonists on New Tahiti are convinced that the exploitation of the planet for lumber, and of its people is a right given to them by nature of their more technologically advanced society. And yet, it is inherently obvious to the reader that this exploitation is wrong, inhumane to this race that while they appear different still feel like humans. Davidson believes to the Athsheans to be primitive because they are intraspecies non-agresssive (at least at the start), but I would argue that the Athsheans had no need for warfare, as they culturally developed outlets to relieve stress and settle their differences without the need for violence. Their society has stagnated not because the race is primitive, but due to the fact that they had achieved an optimum for life on Athshean at the time. When Terrans arrive, they are more aggressive, and more prone to violence, and so the Athshean's must react in turn with violence to survive. Athsheans are humanoids, who empathize, think logically, utilize language, and in short are fully sentient beings closely related to the Hainish ancestor that they share with Terrans. They are by all definitions, people. Except to the Terrans, who are in large part unable to come to grips that being human is something that occurs at a cognitive level, not a physical, or even cultural level.