Yellow Peril! An Archive of Anti-Asian Fear

In this illuminating book, Tchen and Yeats address the political and cultural legacy of yellow perilism, that set of beliefs and practices stemming from a long tradition of othering, identity formation, and binary divisions of "the West" and "the East." Tchen and Yeats act as curators, drawing together an impressive and engaging array of "fragments"%E2%80%94images, critical essays, scholarship, and historical documents%E2%80%94which, taken as a whole, present a clear, if multifaceted, trajectory of yellow perilism to show how it is "hardwired into the formulation of Western Civilization itself." The book can feel dense but, separated into three parts, it is effectively organized and the editors provide a contextual introduction for each "archival" entry. What emerges is a compelling case that cultural and political change is needed, and that change is possible only through "historical recognition," which, Tchen and Yeats say, leads to "reckoning and action." The book will appeal most to academics, but the recognition and understanding that the book provides is "vital to navigating a less divisive, less war-torn future." (Feb.)