The Wasp — 1894 — page 58: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon series tracks the stereotype of Turkish immigrants ("Turks") in San Francisco, depicting their supposed social and economic advancement. **Panel 1** ("Insolence"): A man propositions a boy: "Richard, do you want to get rich?" suggesting exploitation or criminal recruitment. **Panel 2** ("Getting rich"): Shows the progression—the figure now commands children in street activities, appears to control multiple young workers, and eventually stands as a well-dressed businessman directing operations from a storefront. The satirical point: Turkish immigrants, presented as initially criminal and exploitative, gradually accumulate wealth and respectability through dubious means. The "evolution" mocks both the community and urban social mobility, reflecting 19th-century xenophobic assumptions about immigrant criminality and social climbing.