The anti-Chinese wall
1882
Friedrich Graetz's biting 1882 political cartoon satirizes the hypocrisy surrounding the Chinese Exclusion Act. You see a motley crew of immigrants—Irish, German, and others—along with an African American man, all lugging heavy blocks labeled 'Jealousy,' 'Fear,' and 'Law Against Race' to build a massive barrier. Meanwhile, on the right, politicians mix up 'Congressional Mortar' to cement this wall of prejudice, effectively shutting out the Chinese laborers seen working in the background. It's a sharp critique of how established groups often turn against new arrivals, using legislation as their bricks and mortar.