The 1892 Citizenship Crackdown on Puget Sound Fishermen
A newly enacted state law barred foreign-born fishers from working Washington waters, forcing an immediate rush for naturalization papers at the county courthouse.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The state law prohibiting the taking of salmon and other food fish in the waters of this state by foreigners or non-residents, which went into effect on the 1st of this month, has created something of a stir among the alien fishermen in and about Seattle. The law, passed on March 6, 1891, mandates that no person shall fish for profit unless they are a citizen of the United States, or have declared their intention to become such one year prior, and have been an actual resident of the state for six months.
The foreigners who make their living by fishing are just commencing to learn of the new act and are beginning to make their appearance in considerable numbers at the county clerk’s office to take out naturalization papers. John Koss, M. Bokoti, Luc Koss, Vincenzo Covaciovich, and J. W. Goodrich took out their second papers yesterday, and eleven others filed declarations of intention to become citizens. There are about 100 foreign fishermen in Seattle, most of whom are Greeks, Italians, or Austrians. The work is usually done on shares, with the net owner taking two-and-a-half shares to the one share earned by the other men. Deputy Fish Commissioner Frederick O. White of Tacoma is keeping an active lookout for those not observing the law and intends to prosecute all found taking fish illegally.
“The foreigners who make their living by fishing are just commencing to learn of the new act, and are beginning to make their appearance in considerable numbers at the county clerk’s office to take out naturalization papers.”
This 1892 restriction illustrates a recurring theme in Pacific Northwest labor history: the use of exclusionary legislation to weaponize citizenship status against immigrant workers. Just as these fishers were forced to formalize their status to protect their livelihood, modern debates over labor protections often center on the precariousness of those defined as 'alien' or 'non-resident' in the eyes of the law.
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