Asked by a group of Middle Easterners why they were a target of good-natured jokes, a popular Hispanic comedian recently said, "Because it's your turn."
The hypersensitive political-correct crowd would have us believe that there is currently some kind of unprecedented assault on immigrants and immigration. But ours is a country of newcomers, none of whom were welcomed with open arms.
The Irish, Jewish and Italians, for instance, were not cosseted as they might be today. They were subjected to mockery as well as employment and housing discrimination.
Thankfully, none were so brittle, nor their accomplishments so superficial or their pride so hollow that a cartoon or joke could take it all away.
This historic reprint of a 1909 joke book is not remarkable for its wit but as evidence of the bias that plagued nearly all ethnicities in this country.
Contained here within are mostly standard jokes of the day with an exaggerated Italian accent added; occasional use of the "D" word is unfortunate but a reality of the time. None of the jokes are spiteful.
Handier than the free PDFs on the web, this you can hold, bookmark, highlight and shelve. An inexpensive imperative for any history buff or comedy aficionado.