By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
The weather—and everyone’s spirits—held for the 5th Annual Chinese Expulsion Remembrance March for the Future on Feb. 23.
The event, which welcomed attendees in the morning with presentations at Hing Hay Park, was followed by a circular march to the waterfront and back. The event commemorated the 1886 expulsion of 350 of Seattle’s Chinese residents, who were forced to board a ship for San Francisco, where they were then deported to China.
Banners and other signage Hing Hay Park. Photo by Kai Curry.
“Past, present, and future merge,” University of Washington professor Dr. Connie So said, “and we continue helping others.”
So was direct in conveying the overall intent and message of the march, which was to remember, but also to make clear that the city’s communities of color and immigrant communities are welcome and here to stay.
“Please stop scapegoating immigrants,” So urged, after giving a summary of the 1886 tragedy.
At that time—the time of the Gold Rush, the Civil War, and the building of the railroads—some white people felt threatened that Chinese people would take their jobs, So said.
“Does this sound familiar?” asked So. “I wish it didn’t.”
In the 1880s, anti-Chinese riots occurred throughout the country. In Seattle, between Feb. 6 and Feb. 9, 1886, a mob gathered to force Chinese residents from the city.
“The officials of this city (Seattle) walked into their (Chinese) homes, packed up their property … and tried to put them on a boat to deport them,” Washington Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos said, describing the expulsion, during her time at the podium. “Why? Because they looked different.”
Santos ended her speech with a rousing, “Hell no, we won’t go!”
Leevia Wang, 13, sings the National Anthem. Photo by Kai Curry.
Washington Sen. Bob Hasegawa followed up Santos’ speech with his pronouncement that “we’re all in this together. We may have come here in different boats, but we’re all in the same boat now.”
Hasegawa, too, was not afraid to use strong words.
“We’re not going to sit quietly,” like the “model minority” stereotype, Hasegawa said, “while we’re being squashed by an oligarchy that wants to take control of our democracy.”
Santos and Hasegawa were not the only ones to draw this parallel between past and present.
“We were just here yesterday celebrating Lunar New Year,” Renton Councilmember Kim-Khánh Văn said, “and what I said was, ‘When Chinatown thrives, we all thrive.’”
While today’s Chinatown is called the “third”—as it’s not in exactly the same spot as it was in 1886—the message about the historic district and what its residents went through remained the same at Sunday’s march. Behind the day’s speakers, banners of each participating organization demonstrated a shared purpose and unity. Photos of prominent Chinese community leaders of the past were also displayed. To one side, where volunteers handed out snacks for the crowd, stood a diagram of a new memorial planned by the Wing Luke Museum.
“We have the power,” Văn said.
The 1886 attack was “targeted … a systematic expulsion of the Chinese in Seattle, said Sammamish’s deputy mayor, Amy Lam.
“Now, the current administration is targeting all people of color, including Asians, by declaring that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is illegal,” Lam continued. “This is an attack on our civil rights.”
Lam and others advised protestors to use their wallets to make their opinions known by refusing to shop at stores whose companies have removed or downgraded their DEI policies.
“We voted in November,” she said, “but we actually vote every single day through our actions and words.”
A nationwide “economic blackout” is planned for Feb. 28 to boycott stores that have pulled back on DEI since the advent of the new administration.
“History repeats itself,” Rep. Mia Gregerson reminded listeners.
Gregerson allowed that, while in this state we do stand up for our communities, racism still exists around the nation—“not only is it loud out in the streets, but it’s also in policy,” she said. Gregerson assured that, here in Washington, the members of Congress will continue to “pass policies to make sure we protect the people.”
Significant local developments were also announced during the presentations.
Sam Cho, former commission president at the Port of Seattle and director of strategic initiatives in Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office, read the mayor’s pronouncement that Feb. 23 would now be an official day of remembrance of the Chinese expulsion of 1886.
“Today, we remember those whose lives, families, and communities were irreparably harmed,” Cho read. “We honor them all … and stand in solidarity with the Chinese community.”
Rep. Janice Zahn spoke to attendees of House Bill 4625, which she introduced to the House and which was adopted on Feb. 21. The bill “acknowledges the significant historical contributions of Chinese Americans in Washington state,” remembers the race-based tragedies of the 1880s, and “affirms their essential role in the state’s civic, cultural, and economic life” of the Chinese population past and present.
“We are not going anywhere,” Zahn said.
The march, which followed the presentations at Hing Hay Park, took attendees across Occidental Street—a symbolic and also literal crossing from a neighborhood of predominantly people of color to a neighborhood of predominantly white people.
The marchers cross Occidental Street. Photo by Kai Curry.
Once at the waterfront, the procession turned back towards the Chinatown-International District, in a literally and figuratively moving, live demonstration of the fact that the Chinese are still here.
The marchers return to Chinatown. Photo by Kai Curry.
People pose for a group photo, following the end of presentations at Hing Hay Park. Photo by Kai Curry.
As an Asian myself, child of LEGAL immigrants, it sickening how much local Seattle media still promote these race-baiting articles. No one is against LEGAL immigration in today’s climate. Yet given how much these people named in the article support ILLEGAL immigration, how many of them are willing to house one? Easy to prattle about spending other people’s money, but when it comes to you own home… oh no.. not my home…
Asian American became one of the wealthiest groups in USA because of their strong culture of family, hard work, wealth management, and the focus of education. These are aspects of MERIT based accomplishments. Which is why, it’s shameful to be playing the victim card. The Oppression Olympics is a game that Asian Americans will never win at, and thank god for it.
Instead of political agendas, why not focus on real racism against Asian Americans? Why are high achieving Asian Student getting denied in college admissions across the board? Is it because they don’t have enough “personality” or maybe it has something to do with the DEI programs you mentioned?
This thread is toxic as hell. These people prove exactly why immigrants are toxic for society. They are raixst towards whites and brainwashed easily by liberals. I heard my myself from an African conservative man that doesn’t like immigrants because it takes away black wmefian jobs. It’s not just white people that worry about this. Because of that , they don’t have my respect or any desire to support them
YOU are toxic as hell. Take your scared, xenophobic attitude elsewhere. You are NOT welcome in Seattle. You’re obviously not from Seattle as we embrace all ethnicities here. We don’t embrace people like you, Deborah.