Seattle Anti-Chinese Riot of 1886

Significance: When we think of the non-European ethnic groups that have been poorly treated in the United States we don't always talk about Chinese Americans - but we should.  The first major immigration of Chinese to the U.S. was after the California Gold Rush in the 1850's - which occurred at the same time as the Taiping Rebellion in China. 

The Taiping Rebellion was not some minor conflict - it was possibly the deadliest civil war in the history of the world. At least 20-30 million people died - some estimates are as high as 70 million.  So, the Chinese who were coming to the United States were not just attracted by the gold rush - they were escaping for their lives. Many of them were coming from the south of China - near Guangzhou - known as Canton at the time. 

After the end of the California Gold Rush, most Chinese who immigrated to the United States worked on the Trans-Continental Railroad.  In fact, the building of that railroad from Sacramento, CA to Omaha, NE can be mostly attributed to Chinese labor.  They were also integral to the development of agriculture in California.

Initially Chinese were welcomed to the U.S. because their labor was needed. However, over time as the U.S. population grew and Chinese Americans competed for jobs with European Americans - a strong anti-Chinese sentiment rose up in many places in America.  After the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, no Chinese laborers were allowed to immigrate to the U.S. until 1943. No other country had the same level of exclusion as the Chinese for such a long period of time.

In Seattle the labor unions became a center of the anti-Chinese movement.  In 1885 they stated that all Chinese living in Seattle had until November 1, 1885 to leave the city.  While some Chinese did leave - there were many who stayed. Over the winter anger and resentment continued to build within the union. On February 7th groups of members of the union forced their way into Chinese homes demanding that the Chinese pack up and get on a ship that was leaving for China at 1pm.  

350 Chinese people were rounded up and led down to the docks. There were at least some officials who took action against the mob. Territorial Governor Watson Squire ordered the mob to release the Chinese - when he was ignored he brought in the local militia and called for federal troops to help control the mob. A local judge also intervened writing an order of habeas corpus - ordering the ship's captain to produce the Chinese to his court by the next morning. As the militia and federal troops attempted to enforce the judge's order the union mob tried to block their progress. Eight of the union leaders were arrested.  After the judge explained to the Chinese that they could stay in their homes, many of them decided still to leave. Those who decided to stay were escorted by militia members back to their homes. This group was attacked by the mob - now even angrier after some of their leaders had been arrested.  Although nobody was killed, two militia men and three of the rioters were seriously injured.

Martial law was ordered by the governor and federal troops would stay in Seattle for over four months.  Although the U.S. government paid the Chinese government for property losses sustained by the Chinese in Seattle - the Chinese individuals were never compensated directly and none of the rioters were ever convicted.  

The story of this episode in American history seems oddly relevant now. The possible banning of a Chinese company, the forceful taking of a Chinese embassy, the blaming of Chinese for an epidemic that we haven't been able to control - these are all stories from the last few weeks.  The Chinese government certainly deserves criticism for many of their policies - but we decrease our moral authority and the likelihood of bringing together a coalition of nations when our criticism is accompanied by rhetoric that sounds similar to the racism of the past.