The Wasp — 1888 — page 25: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a woman conducting "New Year's house-cleaning" by swatting at wasps and insects with a rolled-up paper labeled "Exclusion Restriction." The handwritten text at top appears to reference immigration policy. The imagery suggests the cartoon is using pest-control as metaphor for immigration restriction. The woman represents America or American authority, while the insects—particularly the wasps—represent undesired immigrants or immigrant groups. One insect on the right appears to be a caricature suggesting a particular ethnic group. The satire critiques aggressive immigration exclusion policies being discussed during what appears to be the late 19th or early 20th century, a period of significant anti-immigrant sentiment in America. The cartoon presents restrictive immigration as violent "extermination" of human beings.