I’ve blogged about apologies in from Congress as well as the State of California regarding the Chinese exclusionary laws. On Monday, August 3rd, 2015, the city of Seattle apologized as well:
“The Seattle City Council approved a resolution Monday expressing regret for legislation passed in the 1800s that discriminated against Chinese immigrants. Laws passed by Washington Territory, which became Washington state in 1889, barred Chinese people from voting, owning land and giving evidence in court cases that involved Caucasian people, according to the council. The council itself adopted several anti-Chinese ordinances in 1885. The next year, an anti-Chinese riot forced 350 Chinese people to leave Seattle, according to the council.”
Councilmember Nick Licata sponsored the resolution at the request of the Greater Seattle Chapter of the OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates and the local chapter of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance.
Several members of the public also added their comments.
You can watch the video of the council meeting online.
About John
I'm a Taiwanese-American and was born & raised in Western Massachusetts, went to college in upstate New York, worked in Connecticut, went to grad school in North Carolina and then moved out to the Bay Area in 1999 and have been living here ever since - love the weather and almost everything about the area (except the high cost of housing...)
