The Forced Exodus of Seattle's Chinese Community
In February 1886, local vigilante committees pressured Seattle’s Chinese residents to abandon their homes and businesses under threat of violence, forcing a mass departure from the city.
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.
Today a crowd of men visited the various Chinese houses in Seattle and the waterfront to pack up and head to the Gilde. Wednesday morning they were turned out of their houses again, and the result was that all the Chinamen, with the exception of three or four in the town who were preparing to leave, boarded the Gilde for Victoria. The few left behind were forced to sell their businesses as soon as possible and get out. On arrival here the Chinamen were kept on the wharf until Thursday morning, when they were allowed to come up town.
“Those of the laboring class were given one hour in which to leave, and the merchants were allowed three days' time to settle up their business and get out of town.”
This event, known as the Seattle Riot of 1886, remains a dark chapter in the city's history, reflecting the era's virulent anti-Chinese sentiment and the failure of local law enforcement to protect vulnerable residents. Today, the site of this expulsion near the waterfront serves as a stark reminder of the long, ongoing struggle for racial justice and housing security in Seattle.
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