Antisemitic Sticker

 

Antisemitic Sticker “Wake Up Americans!”

Date: Circa 1938

Location: United States

Medium: Printed adhesive sticker

Collection: Yavneh Klos Collection, Antisemitism Archive

This offensive sticker, which circulated in U.S. cities such as New York in 1938, depicts the Statue of Liberty holding Communist and antisemitic symbols. It embodies the intersection of antisemitism and anti-communism in domestic Nazi-sympathizing propaganda. The caricature was so inflammatory that individuals were prosecuted for publicly displaying it, a rare legal response to such hatred.

‘Wake Up Americans!’ Anti-Semitic Propaganda—A Sticker of Hate

By Emma Lucas.

Brief Description: The Wake Up Americans! sticker, discovered in a New York City subway in 1938, was an anti-Semitic propaganda piece spreading Nazi ideology in the United States. It sought to incite hatred and fear by falsely linking Jewish people to communism, playing into conspiracy theories popular among Nazi sympathizers.

The sticker portrays the Statue of Liberty grotesquely, holding a hammer and sickle in one hand and a caricatured Jewish figure in the other. The Jewish figure is drawn with exaggerated features, including a large hooked nose and hunched posture, reinforcing harmful anti-Semitic stereotypes. The text urges a boycott of Jews and warns of a so-called 'Red Plague,' echoing broader Nazi propaganda efforts that framed Jewish people as threats to national stability.

Extended Description: The 'Wake Up Americans!' sticker, discovered in a New York City subway in 1938, was a stark example of antisemitic propaganda disseminated in the United States during the pre-war era. This disturbing artifact was designed to spread Nazi ideology and incite hatred by falsely linking Jewish people to communism. The imagery was deliberately grotesque and inflammatory.

Though the exact creator of the sticker remains unknown, it was likely produced and distributed by pro-Nazi sympathizers within the U.S., such as the German American Bund. Law enforcement did take action against those responsible, and at least one individual was sentenced to six months in prison for distributing them. Yet the sticker’s very existence underscores the reach of Nazi rhetoric and the dangers of unchecked hate speech.

The sticker was part of a broader wave of Nazi-inspired propaganda targeting Jewish communities worldwide. Recognizing these tactics is crucial in preventing similar hate-driven movements today, reinforcing the importance of historical awareness in combating prejudice and extremism.