The Wasp — 1879 — page 790: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is an anti-immigration political cartoon from *The Wasp*, a satirical publication. It depicts a giant octopus labeled "SACRAMENTO" with tentacles reaching across a map of California. Two figures hold the map—one appearing to be a working-class man on the left, another on the right. The octopus metaphor represents Sacramento's (California's state capital) government as a predatory entity with far-reaching control. The tentacles likely symbolize corrupt political influence or overreach spreading throughout the state. The caption reads "...TO IMMIGRANTS," suggesting the cartoon argues that Sacramento's expansive power negatively affects immigrant populations. This reflects late 19th/early 20th-century California political tensions regarding immigration policy and governmental corruption. The octopus was a common metaphor in period political cartoons for monopolistic or corrupt power.