The Chinese in Tacoma

To read the story of the Chinese expulsion from Tacoma in 1885, see this link:

Expulsion: The Tacoma Method

Examples of propaganda in The Tacoma Daily Ledger in 1885 designed to stir up anti-Chinese feeling:

the chinese must go

great antichinese mass meeting june 3, 1885

read, workingman, read

the workingmen still alive april 12, 1884

third ward voters re John E. Burns april 5 1884

to the citizens of tacoma — J. P. Chilberg was chair of this committee at the beginning, but for some reason he resigned before they had their photos taken.

The agitators were so proud of their work, they posed for photographs.

committee of 15

Tacoma_s_Twenty-Seven_web

tacoma'

Some of the ministers in town, including Rev. G.A. Anderson, tried to resist the hysteria. Here is their statement on human rights, which the Tacoma Daily Ledger refused to print. It was a case of too little, too late.

Sentiments of the Ministerial Union of Tacoma

Chinese people were not allowed to buy property and many landowners would not rent space to them, so many of Tacoma’s Chinese lived along the railroad tracks at the waterfront. Right after their expulsion in November, 1885, their shacks were burnt down.

Chinese shacks on waterfront

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