During its annual Golden Circle Awards, OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates of Greater Seattle paid tribute to the Asian Family Affair and the Gang of Four from 1972; and from 2022, it honored Transit Equity for All and Tanya Woo—these are the Chinatown International District (CID) protestors who made a stand 50 years apart.
250 people attended the Jan. 12 event at Joyale Seafood Restaurant.
“The groundbreaking of the Kingdome on Nov. 2, 1972, was supposed to be a public celebration,” said Connie So, OCA president, in a letter. “Many Asian American youth and their allies and supporters were rightfully upset that the stadium was located immediately next to the CID and disrupted the event. Less than two weeks later, a march on the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offices kicked off the neighborhood’s preservation movement.”
She added, “50 years later in 2022, amidst the pandemic, anti-Asian hate, vandalism, arson, homicide, assaults, business closures, racism, our community was shocked by the duo announcements that the light rail is demolishing part of the CID, followed by news that the King County Council will be expanding a mega shelter to be built adjacent to our community.”
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Harold Taniguchi, the former director of the King County Department of Transportation, also spoke at the event.