Commentary: Our nation has had a great tension between our foundational principles, such as egalitarianism and opportunity for all, and the divisive scourges of racism and nativism.
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What can we learn from the Arch of Healing and Reconciliation standing on the lawn of the Bellingham Public Library?
This historical monument memorializes the Chinese who were driven out of Whatcom and the Bellingham Bay area in 1885, the Punjabis from India who were expelled in 1907 by a riotous mob, and the Japanese residents who were relocated by a federal order in 1942 and incarcerated in camps until the end of World War II.
In contrast to this history of expulsions, the words for “welcome” in many different languages are etched in the tiles at the foot of the arch. Thus, the arch embodies several connected messages — remembering history, healing, reconciliation, and welcoming.
The anti-Asian movement
The anti-Chinese movement in Whatcom was led by the Knights of Labor, the publishers of the major newspaper — the Whatcom Reveille, — and the mayor. The movement reached a fever pitch by the fall of 1885, with daily vitriolic attacks in the pages of the Reveille. The anti-Chinese agitators issued an ultimatum that the Chinese had to leave town by the end of October and police made mass arrests of Chinese residents.
Fearing violence, all the Chinese left, and their expulsion was celebrated with a torchlight parade with addresses by the mayor and other civic leaders. Despite federal charges of conspiracy brought against several of the Whatcom leaders of the anti-Chinese campaign, no one was ever punished.
The anti-immigrant campaign instigated by labor leaders and the Asiatic Exclusion League culminated in a mob of several hundred rioters attacking Punjabis in their quarters and workplaces on the night of September 4, 1907. Over 100 Punjabis, many of whom were employed in large lumber mills, were forcibly taken to the jail in the basement of the City Hall, and probably another 200 or more fled the city or left during the next few days, and soon the newspapers proclaimed that none remained in the city. The mayor ordered the police to enforce the law and to deputize citizens to protect the peace; however, only five were arrested, and charges were later dropped.
In the early 1940s Bellingham and Whatcom County was the home to the Okubo, Asano, Okamoto, Sakamoto, Amano, Kunimatsu, Sumihiro and Shima families, totaling at least 33 individual Japanese adults and children.
These families were incarcerated by federal order in internment facilities. They were restaurant and store owners, farmers, janitors, barbers, and railroad workers. They were members of the local community, but none were able to reclaim their lost property and none returned to Bellingham.
The process of healing
I suggest three steps to heal from injustices and racial intolerance:
- Teach others about acceptance, respect, and resistance by saying “NO” to injustice and by using critical thinking to avoid stereotypes and to identify misinformation. We can learn from those who refused to support the expulsion of Chinese from Bellingham and workers who refused to join the rioting mob purging the Punjabis. We can honor Fred Korematsu and Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi who resisted unjust internment and took their cases to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Become allies: We can reach out and help others as exemplified by Edward Mathes, the principal of the State Normal School in Bellingham, who sponsored students from India and welcomed 18-year-old Nahbi Ram Joshi to live with his family for the year just as riot broke out in 1907. The Oscar Mapes family took care of the Sakuma farm in Burlington and paid their taxes during the war until they returned.
- Build a welcoming, accepting community beginning with our interactions with others. Let’s applaud the collaboration between Western Washington University and the tribes in developing the nearly complete Coast Salish-style longhouse, “The House of Healing,” on the campus.
The process of reconciliation
To participate in the process of reconciliation:
- We can learn. Be open to learning about historical events, the people involved, and the injustices.
- We can acknowledge the injustice and wrongdoing and recognize peoples’ resilience and humanity.
- We can share and discuss the issues and history with others.
What have I learned in studying the history of these unjust expulsions?
First, I have learned that there has always been a great tension between our nation’s foundational principles, such as egalitarianism and opportunity for all, and the divisive scourges of racism and nativism.
Second, in every era in the U.S., certain local, state, and federal officials, media, and businesspeople have been responsible for targeting and scapegoating minority groups and immigrants whether for political gain or due to prejudice and ignorance. Grave injustices have been perpetrated by the courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Yet in every era, other elected officials, civic leaders, and courts have taken bold actions, to protect the rights of individuals and groups, including immigrants and non-citizens. Recognizing that there are always these tensions of beliefs and actions, we all need to keep informed, to support those who uphold justice, and to take meaningful action toward healing, reconciliation and creating a welcoming community.
— By Paul Englesberg
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