The Wasp — 1891 — page 484: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon attacks anti-foreign sentiment in China, specifically targeting xenophobic rhetoric against Christian missionaries. The Chinese characters in the header translate to this violent exhortation. The figures depicted—aggressive men wielding weapons and a robed authority figure—represent Chinese opponents of Western missionary presence. The caption quotes inflammatory rhetoric claiming foreign missionaries are "bloody hogs" attempting to destroy Chinese ancestral traditions and religion. The satire critiques this xenophobia by presenting the anti-missionary position as savage and unreasonable. The cartoon appears designed for Western readers, positioning Chinese resistance to foreign religious influence as barbaric superstition rather than legitimate cultural defense. This reflects late 19th/early 20th-century American attitudes portraying Western missionary efforts as civilizing and benign, while depicting Chinese opposition as irrational fanaticism.