Nast's Every Dog (No Distinction of Color) Has His Day

In this image entitled “’Every Dog’ (No Distinction of Color) ‘Has His Day’”, Nast depicts a Chinese immigrant with a Native American (standing over his shoulder) both reading a posted message entitled “The Chinese Problem”.  Other notable quotations included on the posting: “Prohibit Chinese Immigration”, “Laws Providing for Their Banishment”, “Foreigners Not Wanted” etc.  The significance of the Native American becomes more clear with the image of the railroad train above.  The first one (labeled GO WEST!) going towards the Pacific shows a steady train with its horn blasting, chasing after a Native American who seems to be running for his life.  The second one (labeled GO EAST!) shows a Chinese immigrant chasing a wobbly and unsteady train heading in the opposite direction.  The caption at the bottom reads ‘RED GENTLEMAN TO YELLOW GENTLEMAN’. “Pale face ‘fraid you crowd him out, as he did me”.  This makes it very clear that Nast is addressing the white prejudice against Chinese immigrants, and their fear at the time of being overrun and becoming the minorities in America.

There are other subtle, yet important, messages throughout Nast’s political cartoon.  The caption “The Chinese Must Go” by Kearney (A Real American) leads one to discover that this reference is to Denis Kearney, who was an outspoken proponent against the Chinese railway workers, calling for their expulsion because they’re willingness to work for such low wages took away jobs from “real Americans”.  Nast’s caption “a Real American” refers to the fact that Kearney emigrated from Ireland in 1868[1], implying obviously that he should be considered no more “American” than a Chinese immigrant.

There is also a small caption in the corner, which reads “Down On The Nigger- KKK”, along with a sleepy looking African American man sitting down and resting against a tree in the background.  His hat is pulled down over his eyes and his legs are crossed, and there is a caption written on the tree that says “My Day is Coming”.  This addresses the anti-Black sentiment felt by many Americans during the reconstruction (especially the outspoken and violent KKK), and foreshadowing the possibility that African Americans, like the Chinese Immigrants, may soon be subjected to laws excluding them from work and possibly banishment back to Africa due to the difference in their physical characteristics to “real Americans”, such as Irish immigrants.                 

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[1] PBS.  New Perspectives On The West.  “Denis Kearney, 1847-1907”. http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/i_r/kearney.htm (accessed 15 February 2012)