About this book
Le péril jaune by Yakov Aleksandrovich Novikov is a striking late-19th-century examination of the "Yellow Peril" panic that gripped European thought at the height of empire. Novikov, writing from a sociological and political-economy perspective, traces how fears of Asian demographic expansion and military invasion gave way to anxieties about cheap labor undermining Western workers.
Combining historical reportage with economic argument, the book situates the debate in the aftermath of the Sino-Japanese War and the global labor shifts of the 1890s. Novikov dissects claims about Chinese, Indian, and African laborers who accept lower wages, explores contemporary racial and colonial assumptions, and assesses how these ideas shaped policy and public opinion. His analysis illuminates the intersections of race, migration, industrial competition, and imperial policy central to modern economic history.
A compelling work of history and political economy, Le péril jaune will interest students, researchers, and listeners curious about the roots of racialized labor fears, the politics of migration, and how economic panic can shape international relations. Listen to better understand a pivotal moment when globalization, labor markets, and racial rhetoric first collided.
