The Campaign to Exclude Japanese Farmers from Seattle Markets
White truck farmers in the White River Valley organize a campaign to ban Japanese immigrant competition from the Pike Place Market.
White farmers at the public market have subscribed more than $1,500 to a fund to be used in an attempt to drive all Japanese from the Pike-place institution. The organizers claim that if necessary they can raise several times that amount. They further state that every white farmer at the market is ready to subscribe $25 or more to this cause. They also claim to have the moral backing of organized labor. Henry Spelker, one of the organizers, stated, 'An alien cannot hold real property in this state; and does not pay either poll or real property tax. This market was built by the money of the taxpayers of Seattle, for the benefit of the people. Aliens who in no way support it should not have the right to sell their produce on it, in competition with white farmers who are American citizens.' The movement has been brewing for more than a year, fueled by resentment over labor costs; white farmers claim they cannot compete with the wages paid to Japanese laborers, which are significantly lower than those for white workers.
“Aliens, who in no way support it should not have the right to sell their produce on it, in competition with white farmers who are American citizens.”
This article highlights the economic roots of the anti-Asian movements that shaped early 20th-century Washington. It reflects a recurring pattern in local history where competition over land and agricultural access was framed through racial exclusion, an issue that continues to echo in contemporary debates over immigration and labor rights.
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