City of Reconciliation

Something happened in Tacoma 120 years ago that I wouldn't want to talk about if not for what happened today. In November of 1885 all the Chinese people of Tacoma were ordered to leave our city. Having helped us finish building the railroad, the Chinese had prospered to the point that Anglos felt that their own jobs and businesses would be threatened by the "Asiatics." The Chinese,even those who were baptized Christians, were libeled as "heathen" (and much worse) and driven from the city. Their homes and businesses were burned to ashes. This is why we have no Chinatown in Tacoma, as other major West Coast cities do. Our Chinese population of 600 in the 1880's has barely rebounded to 700 today (out of a total city population of nearly 200,000). This tragic history is perhaps best reported in Murray Morgan's book, Puget's Sound. See also a personal essay on Tacoma's anti-Chinese past by Jennifer Lee.

However, walking in Old Town today allowed me to attend the ground breaking ceremonies for the new Chinese Reconciliation Park at the east end of N Ruston Way. A camera man was interviewing Tacoma Mayor, Bill Baarsma, as I arrived. The Mayor welcomed the nearly 200 people who had arrived for the ceremonies, and then presided over the following program. Mr. Baarsma noted the appropriateness of his participation in a ceremony of reconciliation, since the Mayor of Tacoma in 1885 had been at the forefront of the efforts to evict the Chinese. Mayor Baarsma acknowledged our city's past crime against our Chinese citizens and then read a historic decree proclaiming August 19th Chinese Reconciliation Day in Tacoma!

During the program, Dr. David Murdoch, a Baptist Pastor, shared his reflections. When he first came to Tacoma in 1982, he felt that something was amiss in the spirit of our city. He investigated our history and discovered the ignominious expulsion of the Chinese. He then joined with others in seeking a way to address this wrong against our past neighbors. Dr. Murdoch noted, as does Murray Morgan, that some individuals, including a group of pastors, did stand against the eviction conspiracy in 1885.

In 1992, City Councilman Robert Evans and former State Rep. Art Wang, joined Dr. Murdoch and other community members to initiate the reconciliation process. On November 30, 1993, Tacoma's City Council recognized the efforts of this citizen's committee and unanimously approved Resolution No. 32415 to acknowledge that the expulsion of 1885 was "a most reprehensible occurrence." The City Council also approved the building of a commemorative park on our waterfront near the site where Tacoma's "Little Canton" once stood.

In 1994 our concerned citizens founded the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation to continue the reconciliation process. Under the tireless leadership of President, Theresa Pan Hosley (seen here ceremonially breaking the ground with others; 3rd from right above, first from right below) the foundation succeeded at last in beginning the process today of building the commemorative park.


I appreciated that the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, which was here before either Anglos or Chinese, was represented by Connie McCloud. Buddhist disciples of Hsin-Tien Shi were scheduled to give a blessing of the park site, but when called upon by the Mayor, they declined to participate (contrary to the report on the CRPF website), apparently because their Master was absent.

The formal part of the program ended with a Dragon Boat Salute just offshore by the Tacoma Dragon Boat Association.

A stated goal of the Chinese Reconciliation Park Foundation is "Setting a reconciliation example for the other communities across the country that have encountered similar events [in their history]." Thank you Mayor Baarsma, Mrs. Hosley, and members of our City Council and of the CRPF, for helping us set right our city's past and making us a City of Reconciliation. As Solomon said, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."