Political Cartoon 'The Chinese Question'
Political Cartoon Analysis
It is common knowledge that during the mid to late 1800’s, the United States received a flux in immigration from China, largely due to the need for workers in the construction of Continental Railroads and various mining operations across the nation. Families left China and came to the United States in hopes of joining work camps or bettering themselves through private business in the US. What is not necessarily common knowledge is the response to this increase in immigration by U.S. citizens, whose population were predominantly made of “White” Americans. Chinese Immigrants were socially, politically, verbally, and many cases physically abused at the hands of “White” natural born citizens. The political cartoon featured …show more content…
To begin, the first interesting thing to be pointed out is the hangman's noose in the foreground behind the mob next to the dilapidated and burning African American “Colored” Orphanage. These images combined with the words “White Purity” and such racial slurs featured on the wall as “Rat-Eater” and “Barbarian” demonstrate the feelings of superiority that the dominant White citizens had about the Chinese. In the minds of many, White was the superior race and all other nationalities were inferior. According to the picture, the Chinese were to be seen no better than former African American slaves and were so low that they could justly be dealt with by a “bullet,” meaning murdered, as well as by “ballot,” meaning an immigration ban, which did eventually pass in 1882. In short, as Du Bois might put it, the “Chinese Question” bore striking similarities with the “Negro Problem.”
However, one should also take notice as to who’s side Lady Liberty, the symbol of true Americanism, takes in the matter. In other words, if the picture is to be believed, true Americans would take the side of the Chinese and embrace him as a citizen rather than look down upon him due to race. After all, there is a stark irony in a so called “nation of immigrants” wishing to abuse incoming
It is common knowledge that during the mid to late 1800’s, the United States received a flux in immigration from China, largely due to the need for workers in the construction of Continental Railroads and various mining operations across the nation. Families left China and came to the United States in hopes of joining work camps or bettering themselves through private business in the US. What is not necessarily common knowledge is the response to this increase in immigration by U.S. citizens, whose population were predominantly made of “White” Americans. Chinese Immigrants were socially, politically, verbally, and many cases physically abused at the hands of “White” natural born citizens. The political cartoon featured …show more content…
To begin, the first interesting thing to be pointed out is the hangman's noose in the foreground behind the mob next to the dilapidated and burning African American “Colored” Orphanage. These images combined with the words “White Purity” and such racial slurs featured on the wall as “Rat-Eater” and “Barbarian” demonstrate the feelings of superiority that the dominant White citizens had about the Chinese. In the minds of many, White was the superior race and all other nationalities were inferior. According to the picture, the Chinese were to be seen no better than former African American slaves and were so low that they could justly be dealt with by a “bullet,” meaning murdered, as well as by “ballot,” meaning an immigration ban, which did eventually pass in 1882. In short, as Du Bois might put it, the “Chinese Question” bore striking similarities with the “Negro Problem.”
However, one should also take notice as to who’s side Lady Liberty, the symbol of true Americanism, takes in the matter. In other words, if the picture is to be believed, true Americans would take the side of the Chinese and embrace him as a citizen rather than look down upon him due to race. After all, there is a stark irony in a so called “nation of immigrants” wishing to abuse incoming