Strategic moves by different powers have over the years fashioned different communities considering others. Whether they appear as cold war or calculated moves to gain specific advantages in political and economic supremacy, the battles of wits between the West and the East still mold the present times. Okihiro, Gary in “Perilous Frontiers.” Yellow Peril! An Archive of Anti-Asian Fear argues that historical documentations suggest consistent attacks by the West on East and Southeast Asia (Tchen and Dylan). The phrase “Yellow Peril” also known as “Yellow Terror”, or the “Yellow Specter” has been used to racial depict the Asian communities and their global advances. Indeed, the present times’ narratives presented by the Western media and political systems reveal that Asian people and countries continue to pose great threats to America and Europe. “Perilous Frontiers.” Yellow Peril! An Archive of Anti-Asian Fear should be published in the textbook because it addresses crucial issues such as politics, economy, culture, and healthcare, which are crucial aspects of global development.
Most Asian countries are becoming increasingly powerful in terms of their political maturity and military powers, which make them a threat to the West. While the United States has been considered the superpower for several years, the current trends reveal that countries such as North Korea and China have attempted to pose danger to the U.S.’s global political positioning. Even though some scholars may oppose the notion that the two mentioned countries can match the U.S. and Europe, China has left significant footprints in several countries (Brattberg et al. 1). The primary issue is that most of the nations where China has created a tight grip do not understand the strategies, tactics, and tools it uses to lure them to become their allies. Brattberg et al. further indicate that most policies adopted by the countries targeted by China are not favorable to the United States and Europe, thus threatening their political moves. Most importantly, China’s choice of countries is mainly zoning that ease more military expansion in different regions, especially for tactical military missions.
Yellow Peril is also depicted in China’s economic prowess and its crude approaches to win most countries’ loyalty as trading allies. China offers solutions that directly compete with the West, by providing ready-made products to the nations that seek economic development. In addition, Beijing achieves milestones in its economic pursuit because exploits the vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the target nations’ institutions so that it exerts its economic influence and power (Garlick 4). For instance, China has achieved considerable milestones in Central, Southeastern, and Eastern Europe, which are entry points into other parts of the region specifically for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (Garlick 4). Such moves ensure that Chinese businesses have a softer landing with favorable regulatory frameworks and economic conditions to improve their operations and productions. Arguments against Chinese approaches offer insufficient grounds to depict China in a bad light because competing nations also have similar opportunities. Young scholars should understand the approaches used and be part of policymakers to ensure that their nations can also be effective in their economic expansion strategies.
Culture has also been associated with Yellow Perils over the years of Asian and Western interactions and is still evident in modern times. The Chinese were courted for how they worked during the Gold Rush period. According to (D’Arcangelis), the same attacks were directed towards Asian countries, especially China, for their efforts in providing solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic. Arguments emerged that China profited from the situation despite being the country from which SARS-COV-19 emerged. Such assertions are invalid because China may have responded with its capabilities to address a global pandemic. Tchen and Dylan reveal that “the Chinese are not dead to new ideas; he is an efficient worker; makes a good soldier and is wealthy in the essential materials of a machine age”, depicting the culture of the Asian workers (p. 196). Young scholars should learn from the historical and cultural industry of the Asian communities to make policies that help their countries compete against other players in the global marketplace.
The west has also continuously attacked China as a hub for diseases, including the 2002 emergence of the novel pathogen — SARS-CoV in the Guangdong province and its appearance in the U.S. in 2003. The U.S. discourse focused more on China being a disease threat (D’Arcangelis). Similarly, China experienced Yellow Perils as the originator of the novel SARS-COV-19 virus, due to the consistent narrative from the U.S. that the pandemic began in Wuhan province. President Donald Trump in one instance referred to COVID-19 and China Virus, which was both racial discrimination and continued efforts to convince the world that China does not mean well for the global communities. However, students should also learn that diseases originate from every part of the world, only that they are not given the same magnitude as those that originate from China.
In conclusion, Perilous Frontiers.” Yellow Peril! An Archive of Anti-Asian Fear is a great essay for modern students. It can enable them to understand historical contexts and how they shape the world, both now and in the future. The essay can also help the learners understand how various narratives are used by the U.S., and by extension, the whites, to racially attack Asians. However, they have honestly contributed to global economic, political, social, and healthcare developments. Most importantly, the essay can help young learners to live peacefully with Asian communities, considering them equals. Their motivation should serve as inspiration for the next generation to become more development-oriented, thus positively changing their economies.
Works Cited
Brattberg, Erik, et al. “China’s Influence in Southeastern Central, and Eastern Europe.” (2021).
D’Arcangelis, Gwen. “The Revival of The Yellow Peril: Culture and Scapegoating During COVID-19.” Medium. Retrieved 20 (2020).
Garlick, Jeremy. “The regional impacts of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.” Journal of Current Chinese Affairs 49.1 (2020): 3-13.
Tchen, John Kuo Wei, and Dylan Yeats. YellowPperil!: An Archive of Anti-Asian Fear. Verso Books, 2014.