Life, 1922-09-21 · page 22 of 36
Life — September 21, 1922 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks the Ku Klux Klan and nativist "100% Americanism" movement of the 1920s. The narrator joins the KKK and obsessively purges his life of anyone deemed insufficiently American—firing Jewish, Irish, Italian, and German employees and service providers based solely on ethnicity. The satire's punch comes in the ending: by Sunday, having eliminated all "foreign" contacts, the narrator finds himself unable to eat, be entertained, or function. Even reading poet Ed Guest backfires when he's revealed as English-born. The narrator's final resignation from the Klan suggests the absurdity and self-defeating nature of such exclusionary ideology. The cartoon above depicts a seasick passenger too weak to swat a fly—visual commentary on the weakness or desperation underlying such prejudice. The piece critiques how ethnic and religious discrimination ultimately harms the discriminator, not the targets.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Seasick Passenger: Steward, will you shoo this fly off my nose? I haven't the strength. Diary of a 100 Per Cent. American Monday OINED the Ku Klux and swore to defend 100 per cent. Americanism against all enemies of the country and the Klan. I must quit buying clothes from Sol Leven- thal. Those Jews aren’t too per cent. Americans. Must tell Mary not to get any more groceries from Pat Murtha. He’s one of those Irishmen who are always conspiring to put Rome into Washington. Tuesday I'll have to tell Mary not to buy any fruit or vegetables from Pasquale Veronica. He's one of those wops. Went to the movies and saw Ralph Palmson in “America First.” He certainly raised hell with those greasers. That boy's 100 per cent. American. Wednesday Hans Dunkel took his business away from me to-day. I asked him if he was “1oo per cent. American” and he said “No.” We had words and then the old fool told me [| was too much of an idiot to transact his affairs. Told Mary to fire Katinka. She's one of those Germans. Thursday Had a quarrel with Dwight Williams to-day. He said he came from the same part of England as Ralph Palmson and I told him I knew better, that Palmson was 100 per cent. American. He said he didn’t know, that he met very few of that type in the Argonne, but he guessed they had too much patriotism to take a chance on having it contaminated by a visit to France. Resigned from the country club because the House Committee re- fused to take action about Williams. Friday Met Steve Svenson and he said he heard I was going to play night-shirt golf with the Ku Klux Klan here- after. Those Scandinavians are a menace to the country. Instructed Mary to quit taking ice and coal from his company. Reported Svenson to the Kleagle. We'll show those foreigners where they get off. Saturday Laid off my weekly poker game. Only foreigners play it inthis town. Fooled with the phonograph, but had to quit because McCormack is a Sinn Feiner and Caruso was a wop. Started to play solitaire, but Mary spoiled it by saying that it was an English game, called Patience. Read some of Ed Guest’s poems. That fellow's 100 per cent. American. Sunday No breakfast. Mary said there was no one left she could buy food from. No luncheon. Same reason. No dinner. Same reason. Wanted to go out to a restaurant, but Mary reminded me that the only good one in town was kept by a Frenchman. Read some more of Ed Guest’s poems. Mary told me he was born in England. Wrote letter of resignation from Ku Klux Klan. (Gave it to Rastus Johnston, the mail carrier. J. K. M. comicbooks.com EE | a) ee Ae |