the yellow peril

Noun

yellow peril (plural yellow perils)

1. (derogatory, historical, offensive) The alleged threat to Western nations by East Asians, especially Chinese or Japanese people, due to their vast population, non-Western cultures, or supposed antagonism to the West.
   • Perhaps the German Emperor is the only man who really believes in the “Yellow Peril,” and what is this “Yellow Peril”?
     The thought that the Japanese will get control of 500,000,000 Chinamen, arm them, and kill off the white men is so absurd that a child would laugh at it.1891, Phillip Jaisohn, “The Far Eastern War from a Japanese point of view”, in Proceedings of the Pennsylvania Yearly Meeting of Progressive Friends, page 94

   Synonyms:

   yellow menace, yellow terror

2. (derogatory, historical, offensive) East Asian nations or peoples, conceived as threatening.
   • It was such a journey as I had taken once before, early in our pursuit of the genius of the Yellow Peril; but this was infinitely more terrible; for now we were utterly in Fu-Manchu’s power.1913, Sax Rohmer, The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, page 335

   Synonyms:

   yellow horde