Many (most?) individuals' values, attitudes, and beliefs are heavily influenced by those values, attitudes, and beliefs that are viewed as the norm.

If the group is socialized to fear and mock those who are different than most individuals will do that without thinking much or anything about that. Why? Because that's the why things are.

However, my question is why has it been normal for people within our society to fear and mock those who are different? And why does this continue to such a large extent?

For instance, why did White people in early 20th century California, and Britain, and Australia all mock Chinese with the Ching Chong Chinaman taunt (or some other racial or ethnic taunt) instead of treating people from that population as individuals who were judged on their own merits or lack of merits?

My answer is that to a large degree Western societies were poisoned with racism and ethnocentrism and xenophobia. And to a large degree Western societies continue to be poisoned with racism, ethnocentrism, and xenophobia.

And yes, I know that that was true and still is true, to a greater or lesser extent, about most societies throughout the world. But Western civilizations like to think that they are better than all other cultures. Is this regard, they may be worse.