The Wasp — July 10, 1880 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Why Our Farmers Employ Chinamen" — The Wasp, July 10, 1880 This anti-Chinese labor cartoon satirizes California farmers' economic practices during the exclusion era. The left panel depicts a desperate white farmer with a "Wanted" sign, unable to find work—likely representing depressed wages due to Chinese labor competition. The right panel shows Chinese workers being hired for agricultural tasks, suggesting they accepted lower pay. The caption's irony criticizes farmers for choosing cheaper Chinese laborers over white workers, though the cartoon's actual target appears ambiguous: it may blame either the farmers for this choice or the Chinese workers for undercutting wages. The imagery reflects 1880s anti-Chinese sentiment prevalent in California, though the satire's direction—whether attacking employers or immigrant workers—remains somewhat unclear.