The Citizenship Fight
A Chinese merchant seeks naturalization despite federal exclusionary laws, putting the legal question before the courts.
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.
Louie King, a Chinese merchant who has resided in Seattle since before he was 15 years old and is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal church, has applied for naturalization. Although King can read and write English and has adopted the customs and religious practices of the country, his application for citizenship was denied based on the law prohibiting naturalization for Chinese individuals. Attorneys representing Louie King and Back, a Portland Chinese merchant acting for the Six Companies, intend to appeal the case to the United States Supreme Court to challenge the validity of the exclusion law.
“He can read and write the English language, and he has forsaken the habits and religious customs of his master.”
This 1891 challenge to the Chinese Exclusion Act highlights the era's severe racial barriers to civic participation. It echoes contemporary discussions about the path to citizenship and the long history of legal battles fought by immigrant communities to secure fundamental rights in Washington state.
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