Strange because as someone well versed in Anthropology, Sociology, Criminal Justice and Psychology working in the latter for 30 yrs+ their have been a lot of brain mapping studies to gauge the level of empathy and compassion toward other humans. In fact those studies where mostly spurred on to determine what was the Root cause of human violence upon the so Called Others. In short how and why do what seems like well adjusted humans so easily devolve into genocide and mass homicide on what is often their neighbors.
And those studies have shown for the most part you are not correct. People's brains do not show the same emotion or empathy when shown video's or pictures of people who are different(Race, Religion, Culture, Sexual Orientation etc.) in distress, pain or danger. These are not learned traits at all as they also manifest in children as well again less or no empathy is shown in the mapping for those who appear different than from those who appear to be the same as the child. One study even went so far as to gauge how one's empathy level rose the closer the person looked to one's self even within peer groups ie.... that person looks like me so they could be a possible relative and how that empathy level fell the less a person looked like one's self.
These responses make perfect since when put into a evolutionary context where the battle for resources and territory was necessary for survival of your tribe. One of the first things we learned in Anthropology was that the first known meeting of two tribes of Modern Humans at a watering hole ended in extreme Violence, death and possible cannibalism. Humans do not have to be taught to be violent it is hardwired into us as a basic Flight or Fight survival.
This is no different in the Chimp kingdom...they are well known to organize war upon rival groups or to even kill within the their own Groups.
Of course you understand this because having a Master degree in biology you know that certain Genes are related to violence and aggression.
Now I want to say don't twist all this.... while Humans are prone to hate, fear and dislike the different and other and clearly that natural instinct can be nurtured and increased in a negative environment....we do have the ability to Control and Reject those ancient chemical reactions with logic and reason.
But one really needs to admit and address this issue from the bottom up and at the bottom is the fact we are hardwired to survive and that brings on a whole host of issues that are often not compatible with modern society.