Life — December 19, 1918 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Canals and Celestials Again" - Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes American attitudes toward Chinese immigration and labor. The illustration shows a woman (labeled "Mamma") confronting children working in a factory, questioning why her "dear father" doesn't care for them—implying the state acts as guardian instead. The accompanying text discusses Mr. Wilson's diplomatic mission to Paris and Carnal politicians' concerns about European settlement. However, the cartoon's caption references Chinese workers ("Celestials"), mocking middle-class American anxiety about Asian labor undercutting American jobs and family welfare systems. The satire criticizes both factory labor exploitation and xenophobic attitudes toward Chinese immigrants, presenting the issue as hypocrisy: Americans claim to value family protection while accepting child labor and resisting immigrant workers who might compete economically.