The Expulsion of Bellingham’s Chinese Residents
In 1885, citizens of Bellingham signed a pledge to systematically boycott and remove their Chinese neighbors, marking a dark chapter in Washington's labor and social history.
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 citizens of Whatcom have undoubtedly adopted the most effective and practical method of getting rid of the Chinese in their town. Last week a committee of three was appointed to visit Chinese men, take a census of the town, and solicit signatures to the following pledge: 'The undersigned do solemnly pledge and promise, upon our honor as citizens, that we will not, from this date henceforward, directly or indirectly, while residents of this city, patronize Chinese laundries or give employment to Chinese in any capacity, and that we will use all reasonable means to discourage their presence in this city.' The pledge was circulated and 130 men signed it. Only some refused to sign, but most of them were willing to promise to do what they could to induce the Chinese to leave. If the signers of that pledge stick to their purpose, it will not be long until there will not be a Chinaman within the limits of Whatcom.
“The undersigned do solemnly pledge and promise, upon our honor as citizens, that we will not... patronize Chinese laundries or give employment to Chinese in any capacity.”
This event in Whatcom (modern-day Bellingham) reflects the widespread state-sanctioned xenophobia and labor agitation of the 1880s that led to the violent expulsion of Chinese communities across the Pacific Northwest. Today, this dark history serves as a critical mirror for examining how exclusionary rhetoric and economic anxiety can be weaponized against vulnerable immigrant populations.
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