The 'No Chinese Employed' Sign of 1879
A Snohomish hotel advertises its business with an exclusionary hiring policy, reflecting the volatile racial politics of the Pacific Northwest during the late 19th century.
George Welsh, proprietor of the Hill Street Steam Mills, advertises his boarding and lodging rates in Snohomish, starting at $5 to $8 per week. His advertisement explicitly notes: 'No Chinese employed.'
“NO CHINESE EMPLOYED”
This advertisement is a stark artifact of the anti-Chinese exclusion movement that swept Washington Territory in the 1870s and 80s. While today's labor market is governed by civil rights protections against discrimination, this notice serves as a grim reminder of how deeply exclusionary sentiment was once woven into the commercial fabric of Pacific Northwest business life.
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