Yellow Peril (Noun)
Meaning
The threat to Western civilization said to arise from the power of Asiatic peoples.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The fear of the yellow peril had long been a staple of Western propaganda, depicting Asian hordes as a threat to white civilization.
- He believed that the rise of China would confirm the predictions of those who had long warned of the yellow peril that threatened Western dominance.
- In his speech, the politician tapped into long-standing racist fears of the yellow peril, conjuring images of invading hordes from Asia.
- The invasion of China by Japan during WWII heightened Western fears of the yellow peril, sparking panic about a potential Asian threat.
- The idea of the yellow peril was used to justify restrictive immigration laws and discriminatory practices against people of Asian descent.