This paper will provide an intersectional approach in analyzing how Chinese immigrants were depicted in the late 19th century in newspapers on the East Coast versus the West Coast and how these depictions reflected the underlying racial, religious, and class dynamics inside the United States. Through using political cartoons, this article will examine the degree to which newspapers and racially charged cartoons impacted anti-Chinese sentiments at the time, both through the long-lasting effects of the dehumanizing depictions of Chinese immigrants and how the underlying Irish conflict between those on the East and West Coast further impacted anti-Chinese legislation. In analyzing the motivations and influences on the anti-Chinese movement, this article will also examine the role that newspapers played in stirring racial tensions and encouraging hostility and violence towards Chinese immigrants, as well as how this influenced U.S. policy and societal opinions. Examples used in this article come from two prominent newspapers at the time – The San Francisco Wasp and Harper’s Weekly – with most cartoons being illustrated by George Keller and Thomas Nast.