Judge — June 17, 1882 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon from *Judge* depicts a crowd of immigrants gathered at "Castle Garden" (the immigration processing center at Battery Park, New York) beneath an American flag. The satire targets contradictory American attitudes toward immigration. Two signs frame the scene: one reads "Protection for All Except the Chinese" and another "Welcome to the Land of Too Much Liberty"—highlighting the hypocrisy of welcoming immigrants while simultaneously implementing exclusionary policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act. The caricatured figures (appearing to represent various immigrant groups) and children suggest concerns about immigration's impact on American society. The cartoon critiques both nativist restrictions and the inadequacy of America's stated welcoming ideals, presenting a cynical view of actual immigration policy versus rhetoric. The artist is signed "JAWales."