The Wasp — 1896 — page 159: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts Uncle Sam (identifiable by his characteristic tall hat with stars and striped pants) in an undignified, bent-over posture, labeled "LOW." The caption reads: "By gosh! them thar oriental fellows are using my back yard as a regular dump!" The satire criticizes American tolerance of Asian immigration and their perceived poor treatment of public spaces. The scattered debris at right—marked with Japanese characters and imagery—represents Asian immigrants' alleged disregard for American property standards. This reflects late 19th/early 20th-century anti-Asian sentiment prevalent in American satirical publications. The "back yard" metaphor suggests resentment that immigrants are using American territory. The cartoon mocks both Uncle Sam's passivity and implicitly attacks Asian communities through dehumanizing stereotypes common to the era's xenophobic discourse.