The Wasp — 1891 — page 426: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Sailburg-signed cartoon depicts a caricatured figure (appearing to represent Chinese immigration or Chinese laborers, based on typical period stereotyping) standing at a crossroads signpost. The signpost points toward California Bay Area cities: Sacramento, San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland. The cartoon likely satirizes Chinese immigration patterns or labor migration during the late 19th/early 20th century, when anti-Chinese sentiment was widespread in California. The figure's exaggerated features reflect the racist caricature style common in *The Wasp*, a San Francisco publication known for xenophobic content. The desolate landscape and directional signpost suggest commentary on where Chinese workers traveled or were being directed, probably critiquing their presence in multiple California cities simultaneously.