ABSTRACT
Since the analysis chapters of this text draw on examples from various alarm periods to describe the myriad of ways that the organism metaphor was employed to dehumanize and stereotype sub-groups, this chapter briefly details these periods. These restrictive movements, all of which took place in the United States, include (a) the restrictive immigration period (1890–1924), (b) the agitation against Chinese (1870–1890) and Japanese (1900–1945) on the West Coast, (c) the eugenic period’s targeting of feeble-minded persons and other “defectives” (1900–1930), (d) anti-Semitism in the United States (1910–1945), (e) the anti-Communist movements in the country (1915–1920; 1930–1942; 1947–1960), and (f) the various forms of racial animosity against African-Americans, especially during the first half of the twentieth century. Each section will briefly describe the major causes leading to public animosity against the group in question as well as the important social control or restrictive measures that were taken in response to public fear or anger.
