Some Anti-Immigration Cartoons

"I Asked You First"

caglecartoons.com   spring 2007

Cartoonist: Matson   U.S. Cartoon

The elephant asks the donkey what it takes to solve many different problems relating to illegal immigration, but also allowing for the business community to have enough workers.

negative framing of undocumented immigrants

negative framing of immigration policies

What "reality" is constructed/framed about immigration/immigrants?

Neither political party understands how to ultimately solve the immigration issue while at the same time fulfilling the low-level labor jobs. On top of these conflicting issues, neither the Republican or Democratic parties know how to balance both while finding the correct tightness of the border. 

Overall, although it sheds some negative light on undocumented workers, the cartoon is negative on the border policy and the intelligence and problem-solving abilities of the two parties overall.

Obama & Immigrants

Publication__MSNBC_______________     Date:__2010__

Cartoonist: __Daryl Cagle____________      U.S./International

Title of the cartoon:__No Title_________

What action is taking place in the cartoon?

Obama is telling the immigrants to leave the U.S. after closing down their corporate employers but asks them to have their children to come back and vote for the Democrats because the Democrats were against the Arizona law the whole time.

Tone of the cartoon:

1) positive or negative framing of undocumented immigrants

2) positive or negative framing of immigration policies 

What “reality” is constructed/framed about immigration/immigrants?

Democrats are pro-immigration but do not back up employers who hire immigrants for low wages and the hard labor. Obama wants immigrants to stay but can’t do anything about the law in Arizona. He is framed to look like someone without backbone to fight the Arizona law, but he still is selfish and power-hungry enough to ask for votes from children of undocumented immigrants. The cartoonist stereotypes the immigrants by giving them all the same clothing and expression. It mocks the way Americans dehumanize immigrants by stereotyping and putting them in the same category. They are depicted as emotionless and don’t seem to have opinions. This also expressed the view of many Americans who think undocumented workers don’t deserve rights.

Team Member Name: _Nicholas larson____________________

Publication_Grudo 6______________________Date:_04/23/10

Cartoonist:____Jose Herod__________________U.S./International

Title of the cartoon:_________________________________Cartoon#_2_

What action is taking place in the cartoon?

Caption: “I give him work, I give him food, I give him medicine, I help his women, what more do you guys want from me?”

The Haitian man is being portrayed as an ape, an ape that is happy to being taken care of. The Dominican is carrying the weight of the man and speaking to Hilary and Barrak. He says basically what else do you want me to do with the limited resources I have? You want us to do all of this but where is the help?

Tone of the cartoon: 1) positive or negative framing of undocumented immigrants (circle answer)2) positive or negative framing of immigration policies

What “reality” is constructed/framed about immigration/immigrants?

The cartoonist is also hinting to the double standard of the United States. With mounting political pressure for the Dominicans to take in their neighbors, the artist makes reference to the unwillingness to accept the Mexicans into the U.S. under similar circumstances.

The Obama Administration's View On Immigration

"In the end, our broken immigration system affects more than a single community; it affects our entire country. And as we continue to strengthen our economy and jump-start job creation, we need to do so with an immigration system that works, not the broken system we have now." — President Obama


Although views differ among members of Barack Obama's Administration concerning the United State's broken immigration system, there is a nearly unanimous agreement the policies set in place are not working the way were designed to. 


Cartoonists have framed Barack Obama in various ways. In the cartoon Aliens, he is portrayed as ignorant, not knowing the difference between a "space" alien, and a "illegal alien". It should be noted that the term "alien" is a code word of hate, and according to We Can Stop The Hate , "Such labels are used to justify extreme action, sometimes even genocide, since the people using those labels claim that the 'larger public interest' is at risk." 


In another Cartoon The Statue of Liberty has the face of Barack Obama, and is claiming "Give me your tired your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to vote for me." He is holding a book entitled "Amnesty". This frames both the Administration and Immigrants in a negative light. It infers that the Obama Administration is passing amnesty laws that are letting immigrants get a free ride, so that they will vote for Obama. This is misleading on a few points. The first priority of the Administration is not simply giving all undocumented workers amnesty. Acts such as the Dream Act work to give children that were born outside of the United States, but grew up in the United States citizenship. Although the Administration has claimed to be working on a solution between two extremes, total deportation and total amnesty, in actuality, they have set records for the number of people they are sending back out of the country. See article here.


In the cartoon "The Wall", the administration is framed similarly to the Statue of Liberty cartoon. It shows undocumented workers coming across the border, getting free health care and welfare, and sending it back to Mexico. This is one of the biggest myths of them all. According to the Immigration Forum, undocumented workers more than $160 billion to the state, local, and federal government through taxes. This raises the per capita GDP of the United States, and creates a stronger economy. Even the money that is sent back to Mexico has the same effect as a foreign investment. 


In the words of Barack
himself...

"The Wall"

Publication: Caglecartoons.com

Date: 4/10
Cartoonist: Gary Mccoy

U.S.

Title of the cartoon:"The Wall"
What action is taking place in the cartoon?
The Obama Administration is allowing undocumented to come across the border, gain health care and get welfare, and allowing them to have voting rights and sending them back to their homeland. 

Tone of the cartoon: 
1)  negative framing of undocumented immigrants 
2) negative framing of immigration policies 
What “reality” is constructed/framed about immigration/immigrants?

Immigrants in this cartoon are framed as free loaders, and the government is framed as spineless. Many undocumented workers working in low-wage fields don't have health care benefits. Because of welfare reforms most undocumented workers cannot get any welfare except in emergency situations. Even with the few that benefit from welfare, overall undocumented workers add more than 100 billion dollars to the American economy each year.

As for the government, the immigration reform is based on balance rather than total amnesty. Even if a majority of the bill was passed, it would not automatically assure amnesty to those who reside illegally in the United States. 

Allee

"Aliens"

Publication: Mayday Cartoons

Date: 2010
Cartoonist: Fuller

U.S.

Title of the cartoon:"Aliens"
What action is taking place in the cartoon?
The democratic party, more specifically Barrack Obama is shocked when he thinks that people in Arizona are trying to MAKE space aliens. 

Tone of the cartoon: 
1) negative framing of undocumented immigrants 
2) positive framing of immigration policies 
What “reality” is constructed/framed about immigration/immigrants?

This cartoon is quite simple. It portrays Barack Obama as ignorant concerning the laws he is passing. He is mixing up literal aliens with undocumented workers. This portrays an image negative to  the party AND the president. 

"Lady Obama"

Publication: Ibd editorial cartoons (Investor's Busniess Daily)

Date: 4/10
Cartoonist: Michael Ramirez

U.S.

Title of the cartoon:"Lady Obama"
What action is taking place in the cartoon?
The Statue of Liberty has the face of Obama. It's holding a book entitled amnesty, and is claiming it will let anybody in the country if they will vote for Obama. Tone of the cartoon: 
1)  negative framing of undocumented immigrants 
2) negative framing of immigration policies 
What “reality” is constructed/framed about immigration/immigrants?

In this cartoon "Lady Obama" is large and looming, portraying him as "looking down" on those trying to immigrate to the United States. Ramirez frames Obama as passing amnesty laws simply to gain votes for himself. Another important aspect of this cartoon is that the statue of Obama is representing the United States as a whole, making the entire population responsible for his decisions. 

"Mail and Guardian"

Publication: Sun Times

Date: 1/11/08
Cartoonist: Jonathan Shapiro

International

Title of the cartoon:"Mail and Guardian"
What action is taking place in the cartoon?
President Obama is taking people from all nationalities into the United States, but leaving United States citizens drowning behind him. Tone of the cartoon: 
1)  negative framing of undocumented immigrants 
2) negative framing of immigration policies 
What “reality” is constructed/framed about immigration/immigrants?

President Obama is taking care of the whole world, but leaving the United States to suffer. He is being framed in a historical context as "crossing the Delaware" like George Washington. He is bringing in the new, without paying attention to the old. The immigrants, not necessarily portrayed as undocumented workers in this cartoon, are bright and happy waiting for their chance at a new life. 

"Thank You and Goodnight"

Publication: Rome Times Tribune

Date: 2010
Cartoonist: Mike Lester

U.S.

Title of the cartoon:"Thank you and Goodnight"
What action is taking place in the cartoon?
Barack Obama is a on a magic show, cutting apart the United States with a Arizona Law suit. 
Tone of the cartoon: 
1)  negative framing of undocumented immigrants 
2) negative framing of immigration policies 
What “reality” is constructed/framed about immigration/immigrants?

Immigration are cutting the United States into two kinds of people, those for immigration and those against it. The racial profiling lawsuit in Arizona is ripping at the seams of the Constitution.