Introduction to Historical Cartoons

Though the issue of immigration is being fiercely debated across the United States, fear and hatred of non-hostile immigrants is nothing new. Documents and political cartoons keep a record of racism that has been going on since at least the 1800s if not longer. Though Mexican immigrants seem to be the target of today's focus, in the past the Chinese, Irish and other Europeans have been attacked for coming to the United States. Many of the insults and derogatory comments made currently were used against foreigners from the past.

Despite having arguably different issues and occurring in different times, the complaints of early Americans are relatively the same. During times of economic difficulty, U.S. citizens blame immigrant workers for "stealing" jobs. We constantly blame others for our problems, discriminate against people who look different, and complain about their culture. This is an interesting trend, considering that all citizens of the U.S. were at one time or another immigrants to this land. The Declaration of Independence states that we are all entitled to "unalienable rights," and I find it ironic that undocumented immigrants are often referred to as "aliens."

The issue remains a popular topic of discussion, but the U.S. has yet to find a solution to the challenge.