Yellow Peril: Anti-Asian Propaganda and U.S. National Identity

Yellow Peril: Anti-Asian Propaganda and U.S. National Identity
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Yellow Peril: Anti-Asian Propaganda and U.S. National Identity
The picture depicts a frustrated man seated outside the “golden gate of liberty” with his right hand holding his cheek. Seated on a box inscribed “ORDER,” his eyes appear to be closed, and his face frowned, portraying frustrations in life. It is evident that it is by the command, he sits outside the gate thus denying him freedom. His body is painted in yellowish color, and the image has writings that are relevant to the situation the man is experiencing. For instance, on the left side of the image, there are writing inscribed “NOTICE – COMMUNIST NIHILIST – SOCIALIST FENIAN & HOODLUM WELCOME BUT NO ADMITTANCE TO CHINAMEN.” Below his feet, there is also a phrase “THE ONLY ONE BARRED OUT” which emphasizes that the frustrated man in the picture not be allowed through the gate. With an American flag on the right side. After the phrase indicating that the man is barred entry, a direct quote of the “ENLIGHTENED AMERICAN STATESMAN” says “We must draw the line somewhere, you know.” Behind the man are two phrases “PEACE” and “SOBRIETY” indicating that the authors of such graffiti demanded concord and seriousness. The word “SOBRIETY” is written in a rather slanting manner with letters seeming to fall out. This artistic imagination might as well communicate that the residents inside the gate have lost temperance as shown in Fig 1 below.
The image portrays the Chinese immigrant as an “oriental problem” that should not be allowed equal protection under the American law (Takaki, 1998). The Chinese entered the United States as a result of Asia colonization and as a response to the extreme labor shortage in the U.S. As the Chinese immigrants could not assimilate into the American foreign culture, they were described as “undesirable coolies” or simply “yellow peril”, a racist term used to mean that the East Asia people are an imminent danger to the people in the Western world and should be locked out (Takaki, 1998). The identity of the Chinese immigrant in the image is that they are worse than other “strangers from different shores” like the communists, nihilists, socialists, Fenians, and hoodlum. The term “hoodlums” indicate that the Chinese were perceived by the Americans to worse that troublemakers or criminals and that Americans would rather welcome criminal than letting in the Chinese. Contrarily, the image portrays the Americans as peaceful people and as people living in a land of opportu...