This is a cartoon made by Herbert “Hype” Igoe. He was my maternal great-great-grandfather. He was born in 1878 in Santa Cruz, California, and he was the son of two immigrants. His parents were Irish, and his father worked as a pipe fitter for a gas company. As an adult, he wrote for a newspaper in San Francisco and was also a cartoon artist. He lived in San Francisco during the 1906 earthquake, and he moved to New York City the following year. After he moved to New York City, he began working at the New York American, as an artist. Over the next few years he also worked for other newspapers like the New York Sun and the New York Tribune. He reported on all of the famous boxing matches during his time, including matches with boxers like Joe Louis. On February 11, 1945, he died of a heart problem that he had for over a year.

Hype’s life shows what it means to be an American because he was a hard-working man who was able to provide a better life to his family thanks to his parents hard work and immigrating to America. This story connects to themes in U.S. History like immigration, opportunity, and migration. His parents came to America to give him a better life and give him more opportunities, and he worked hard as an artist and a writer to succeed. Then, he was brave enough to move across the country after an earthquake and continued working hard and became a well-known and respected member of his community at the time. 

– CW

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more