I wasn't there, but this sounds more like cluelessness than anything else. I could imagine making small talk like this to keep someone's mind off of their pain or anxieties. Did it really seem like the gal or guy was hating on you?
The way he talked about the Visas, gave me the impression of someone who has been conditioned to believe that "those Visas" are evil.
Or maybe I completely misread it, and he was just trying to make conversation as you said, to calm me down. But choosing the Visa subject seemed quite odd. Usually when I mention my home country people chose a subject like history, mythology, holidays or current affairs.
And indeed, when I see someone in pain or anxiety, I'm often tempted to just make small talk on any subject I can think of, to distract them. I usually don't, to avoid offense. But I think they'd suffer less if I did, no matter how stupid my words.
But I don’t know, if I told you I was from Greece, would my visa be the first think that would pop into your mind for small talk?
On the other hand, yeah, the could simply have been a jackass. Greeks, though? Who doesn't love the Greeks? The Turks, I guess, but in America, I think they are well-regarded.