Judge — June 22, 1929 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This cartoon satirizes immigration to America, likely from the early 20th century. The scene depicts men in a ship's cabin or hold, with one urging another ("Bert") to hurry because they can see the Statue of Liberty through a porthole—indicating their ship is arriving in New York Harbor. The satire targets immigrants as smugglers or contraband, suggested by the secretive cabin setting and hurried tone. The caption implies they're illegally entering or hiding goods. The caricatured features and working-class dress suggest working immigrants, possibly Eastern European. The joke plays on American anxiety about uncontrolled immigration and the assumption that newcomers are criminals or smugglers rather than legitimate arrivals. The Liberty reference adds ironic commentary—the symbol of American freedom overlooking what the cartoonist depicts as illicit entry.