Life, 1914-04-02 · page 32 of 68
Life — April 2, 1914 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks both Japanese immigrants and the aviation craze of the early 1900s. Two Japanese characters—the letter writer and his cousin Nogi—are portrayed with exaggerated, broken English and depicted as poorly educated laborers (elevator boys, table waiters earning $4 weekly) who naively believe they can win a $50,000 aviation prize by crossing the Atlantic. The humor relies on ethnic stereotyping: their fractured grammar ("sippose," "enormalous"), malapropisms, and illogical reasoning are presented as inherent to their character. The references to Columbus and Jewish immigration suggest contemporary anxieties about foreign populations. The accompanying cartoon shows a woman at a department store counter, captioned "You can get nearly everything in department stores"—likely a separate advertisement or commentary on consumer culture. The satire ultimately ridicules both the get-rich-quick mentality and the "foreign other" attempting to participate in American enterprise.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
To Editor “ Life News” who believe in aviation but would not ride in one, EAR MR:— Among list of flighty scientists determined to airship across Atlantic Ocean and other slight seas, continents, ete, are me & cousin Nogi. It is not so much that we are skillful as that we require that 50,000$ prize of air which Nord Lorthcliff, Hearst-colored Eng- lishman of, considerable newspaper richness, now offer to any aviator willing to drownd himself doing so. We have ‘got our souls positively set for this sky-ridd, and if Japan is not represented there it will be because we have died before time. Except for fact that we have no fly-machine and no money, we are deliciously equipped for such expedition. We write you hoping you will find us one comfortable fly-boat of 2-Japanese capacity. Maybe Hon. Harold McCormick might loaned us one from his stable where he has plenty. Perhapsly he will also feel wealthy enough to furnish us with oil and gasolene which we will pay for from that 50,000$ when obtained. Tell him not worry about our board during trip. Such an air-voyage only require 20 hours while flying and I have oftenly gone without fuel for 2 days. Also, if we are drownd we shall not feel hungry. “Tam tired of my humble stationary in life,” I answer Nogi, “ Why should we continue enslaving on elevator-boy job, table-wait and other ete for price 4$ weekly when 1,257,001$ can be ob- tained by prizes from aviating. What looks smaller than 4$ weekly?” “1,257,001$ when you don’t win it,” snagger Nogi standpattishly. “Your brain is retail size!” I crabbly. “Before making million dollars you must know how do it,” he deprave. “If you ever see Wall Street you would change that mind,” I collapse. “Sipposing Hon. Columbus thought Scottish like you before dishcovering America? He wouldn't done it. Then "LIFE: Letters of a Japanese School-boy Al Flight Across the Ailantic where would Jewish immigration go to then?” “I must worry,” he relate for slang- ing talk. “Yet I still sippose we do not know something about aviation.” “Neither did Hon. Columbus. Yet see where he got!” “Speak to me further of this mil- lion dollar prizes. To such a flight I can listen forever.” Nogi say this. “San Francisco Columbus & Goe- thals International Canal Axposition has offered 1,000,000$ in fly-away prizes. I do not wonder if San Diego Some- thing-Similar Fair putt in additional wealth to this sky-high charity. So there is that enormalous prize offered, some of which money they have axu- ally got.” “Will it be deliciously difficult to “You can get nearly everything in department stores” comicbooks.com