The Wasp — March 6, 1880 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of The Wasp Page (March 6, 1880) This page contains no political cartoon. Instead, it features the magazine's masthead and publishing information, followed by an editorial titled "The Yellow Plague." The piece discusses Chinese immigration to America as a social problem. The editorial argues against Chinese settlement, claiming they create overcrowding, resist assimilation, and undercut labor wages. The author uses inflammatory language ("yellow plague," "yellow alien") while attempting a veneer of reasoned argument. The text reflects late-19th-century anti-Chinese sentiment that was widespread in California. The Wasp was explicitly satirical, but this article appears to represent genuine xenophobic views rather than satire—typical of American publications during the period of Chinese Exclusion Act debates.