The Wasp — 1881 — page 370: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a large man with a distinctive mustache pushing against a gate labeled "THE NEW CHINESE GREAT WALL" and "IMMIGRATION." On the other side, a crowd of Chinese immigrants presses against the gate. The figure appears to represent a political leader or policy advocate aggressively enforcing immigration restrictions against Chinese people. The satire criticizes efforts to exclude Chinese immigrants, portraying such advocacy as forceful and oppressive. The "Great Wall" reference invokes both the historical Chinese barrier and contemporary anti-Chinese sentiment. The sarcastic title "Hard Pushing" mocks the aggressive political push for exclusionary immigration policy—likely referencing the Chinese Exclusion Act debates of this era. The cartoon critiques xenophobic restrictions through caricature and visual irony.