Before the modern era and the concept of a nation state, people were united not by polity but as a tribal entity even within empires, that's why medieval laws were sometimes religious and ethnic specific.
In the modern era, this habit has not changed in terms of in-group, out-group dynamics. You see this when a englishman can move to the United States and receive promotions and access that a 3rd generation Chinese American would never receive. Despite its advertisement of equality before the law and society, the United States is extremely race conscious and tribal identities are much more entrenched than say, Australia.
In fact, i remember when the Ukraine war started, many American commentators seemed more upset that this was happening to a white people country as opposed to a more acceptable conflict in the Taiwan Strait. For that reason, the War Party in the US is framing the Taiwan issue as a 'all of society' conflict, where China has to lose if you, Joe American want to enjoy your privileges around the world.
