Immigration and Jobs

Cartoon by Barry

PANEL 1
Illustration shows Alamar, a dark-skinned man wearing overalls and a hardhat, standing behind a partly built brick wall holding a brick in one hand and a trowel in the other.
CAPTION: Alamar came to the United States to find work. Alamar is a brick mason. He works hard and is very productive.

PANEL 2
Illustration shows Alamar continuing to work on the wall, while a woman nearby wearing a hardhat checks something off on her clipboard. Behind Alamar, a man walks up carrying a box. Behind that man, a large truck has pulled up.
CAPTION: Because Alamar is so productive, people in related jobs, like brickmakers, site supervisors, and truckers, have more work to do.

PANEL 3
Illustration shows Alamar, no longer wearing a hardhat, buying groceries from a cashier.
CAPTION: All those people, including Alamar, spend money in the local economy, on things like groceries and movies and diners and gas and clothes. All that spending creates more jobs.

PANEL 4
Illustration shows Alamar back at work on the wall. Next to him, an angry bald man is yelling.
CAPTION: That’s why Americans welcome Alamar with friendship and open arms.
ANGRY BALD MAN: GO HOME, YOU *@%#! JOB-STEALER!

And here’s the same cartoon, in French! Thanks to Immigration Libre for the translation.

Transcription:

Panel 1.Alamar a immigré en France pour trouver un travail. Alamar est maçon, il travaille dur et est très productif.

Panel 2.Grâce à sa productivité, Alamar procure du travail à ses collègues tel que les routiers, contremaitres et briquetier.

Panel 3.Toutes ces personnes ainsi qu’Alamar dépensent leur argent dans l’économie locale, sur de la nourriture, des places de cinémas, de l’essence ou encore des vétements. Toute cette consommation crée encore plus de travail.

Panel 4.Et c’est pour cette raison que les Français acceuillent Alamar chaleureusement.
Angry Man Chauve: *Rentre chez toi ****** de voleur de boulot!*

Posted in Economic cartoons, Immigration, Labor rights & Unions |

Who To Blame?

Cartoon by Barry

Script:

PANELS 1 & 2. The Federal Reserve, depicted as a professorial-looking man (bow tie, pipe), cheerily talking to a balding, working-class looking dude in an undershirt. Working class dude is listening without much expression.
FEDERAL RESERVE: hi! i’m the federal reserve! i practically run the economy! i COULD use my powers to lower unemployment, but INVESTORS don’t want that. in fact, whenever unemployment gets LOW, i make it go UP. because that’s what wall street wants. i purposely create unemployment!
PANELS 3 & 4 The Federal Reserve is gone, and in his place is The Banking Industry, depicted as a balding man in a vest, tie and jacket, and with dollar bills floating in the air around him. Banking Industry is even more cheerful than Federal Reserve was. Working class dude continues listening expressionlessly.
BANKING INDUSTRY: hey there! I’m the banking industry. i pack the government with my friends, and gamble wildly until i destroy the entire economy. after that, i’ll get bailed out with YOUR tax dollars. then i’ll foreclose on the horribly inequitable mortgage i sold you and take your home!
PANEL 5: Man wearing Uncle Sam hat has now replaced Banking Industry. Uncle Sam waves cheerily. Working Class Dude continues to listen expressionlessly.
UNCLE SAM: greetings! i’m your goverment!
PANEL 6: Uncle Sam leans in and whispers. Working Class Dude continues to listen expressionlessly.
UNCLE SAM: i make little GESTURES towards reform, but in the end i always take the banks’ side! because they totally OWN me!
PANELS 7 & 8: An Immigrant Dude replaces Uncle Sam, and speaks cheerfully. Immigrant Dude looks exactly like Working Class Dude, except his skin is a little darker. Working Class Dude continues to listen expressionlessly.
IMMIGRANT DUDE: hello! i’m an immigrant. i just want to work hard to feed my family.
PANEL 9: Working Class Dude yells very loudly and angrily; Immigrant Dude winces back in surprise.
WORKING CLASS DUDE: QUIT RUINING MY LIFE, YOU SELFISH BASTARD!!

Posted in Barry's favorites, Economic cartoons, Immigration, Racism & Racists |

White Lies

Cartoon by Barry

Posted in Barry's favorites, Immigration, Racism & Racists |

History Marches On; Nativism Marches In Place

Cartoon by Barry

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

This cartoon has four panels, with a caption running under the entire cartoon.

PANEL 1

A white man dressed in upper-class American Revolution era clothing punches his fist into his open palm as he angrily makes a point. He is balding on top, with the rest of his hair pulled back into a short ponytail. (I intended this to be a caricature of founding father John Jay, but it’s not an especially good one!)

CAPTION: 1780

MAN: Papist immigrants are wrecking our economy with their fecundity! We must erect a wall of brass around the country for the exclusion of Catholics!

Footnote: (“Wall of Brass…” is quoted from John Jay, the first chief justice of the Supreme Court.)

PANEL 2

A wealthy-looking white man in 1850s clothing, sitting in an armchair, looks very snooty as he holds up a forefinger, making a point. He has a newspaper held in his lap by the other hand, and a teacup on a little round table next to the armchair.

CAPTION: 1850

MAN: Chinese immigrants refuse to assimilate… and if we let too many in, they’ll undermine our economy!

PANEL 3

A white man in a dull green 1920s suit and hat talks cheerfully, looking straight at the viewer, “talking with his hands.” There’s a house and a tree behind him.

CAPTION: 1920

MAN: Now, I’ve not nothing against Jews…. but the Jews are coming in huge numbers! The economy can’t take it!

PANEL 4

A modern-looking family – a white man, white woman, and their small child – are standing inside what’s probably their house. The man is pounding his fist into his palm as he angrily speaks. The woman has her arms crossed. The child, holding a teddy bear, looks curiously up at her mom.

CAPTION: NOW

MAN: We’ve got nothing against Mexicans. But they refuse to assimilate! They’re ruining our economy!

WOMAN: We should erect a wall.

GOING ACROSS THE ENTIRE BOTTOM OF THE STRIP

CAPTION: History Marches On; Nativism Marches In Place

Posted in Barry's favorites, History, Immigration, Racism & Racists |

The Story Of Bob And Race

Cartoon by Barry

The colors for this cartoon are by Peggy von Burkleo. Check out her webcomic Samhain Night.

Transcript of cartoon.
Panel 1
A white politician in a podium is making a speech.
CAPTION: How Bob’s Great-Grandparents got into the USA.
POLITICIAN: Our immigration laws should make it easier for the right kind of people to immigrate.

Panel 2
An office environment (presumably a bank office). At a desk in the foreground, a smiling banker shakes hands with a smiling white couple. At a desk in the background, a white banker is speaking to an unhappy looking Black couple.
CAPTION: How Bob’s grandparents became homeowners.
BANKER TALKING TO WHITE COUPLE: We’re happy to approve your mortgage loan!
BANKER TALKING TO BLACK COUPLE: Sorry, we can’t help you.

Panel 3
In the foreground, a white, prosperous-looking man in a business suit puts his arm around a younger man’s shoulder, in a mentoring sort of way. In the background, another white businessman dismisses a young Black man in a suit.
CAPTION: How Bob’s Dad began his career.
BUSINESSMAN: We like you… You seem like one of US. We’re offering you a foot in the door.
OTHER BUSINESSMAN: Sorry, the position’s been filled.

Panel 4
A white woman with a clipboard talks to a young white couple. The man of the couple is whispering something to his wife.
CAPTION: How Bob’s parents became homeowners.
CLIPBOARD WOMAN: We only show homes in THIS neighborhood to the RIGHT sort of people.
MAN (WHISPERS TO WIFE): Lucky your parents can help us with the down payment.

Panel 5
In the foreground, a blonde cop speaks sternly to a young white man. In the background, a dark-haired white cop leads a young black woman away in handcuffs.
CAPTION: How Bob got through his teens.
BLONDE COP: I’ll let you off with a warning… But if I catch you with drugs again…!
DARK-HAIRED COP: Kid, you’re under arrest!

Panel 6
A young man with a somewhat puzzled expression shrugs as he speaks directly to the readers.
CAPTION: Bob.
BOB: I’VE never benefited from racism!

Posted in Barry's favorites, History, Immigration, Racism & Racists |