Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander month in Tacoma
Tacoma celebrates culture and heritage while reflecting on systemic hardships and incredible achievements by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
By Rachel Meatte
The month of May celebrates the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the U.S. Several organizations pay homage to the incredible sacrifices and achievements made by the AAPI community through their culture, food and history.
Many AAPI have suffered immensely under American laws that once prohibited naturalized citizenship, property ownership and immigration, according to the National Park Service.
President Chester A. Arthur signed into office the Chinese Exclusion of Act 1882. The law prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. and only certain Chinese individuals who were exempt could be allowed in.
The Naturalization Act of 1987 allowed extended naturalization rights of immigrants of African descent. However, the law denied several other minorities from obtaining citizenship, specifically non-whites and Asians. The acts created a deep divide between classes and races which were beginning to rectify the wrongs committed by the U.S. government.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, over 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent were forced out of their homes and relocated to live in cramped small internment camps. This marked a painful period for Japanese Americans and other Asian ethnicities who already felt unwelcome in their own home. The internment camps were in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, California and Washington, consisting of overly cramped halls.
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan publicly apologized for the unjustified mistreatment of Japanese Americans endured by the U.S. government in World War 2. That year he signed the Civil Liberties Act which acknowledges broader injustices and repairment needed to heal.
President Reagan also acknowledged that the government’s actions were based on race prejudice and war hysteria, and the failure of political leadership, according to the National World War 2 Museum. The act also provided $20,000 to each survivor of the internment camps.
This month doesn’t just commemorate the sacrifices and egregious mistreatment the AAPI community have endured, as it highlights their incredible achievements like Filipino American physician and pediatric immunologist Katherine Luzuriaga, M.D., who paved the groundwork for contributing to our understanding of persistent viral infections in children, specifically HIV. Luzuriaga also managed clinical research into antiretroviral therapies used for children.
In 2013, Harvard University student Amanda Nguyen, who was the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, tried accessing information regarding her rights as a survivor of sexual assault. Nguyen realized it was nearly impossible to find any rules or regulations regarding support or accountability for the crimes and decided to find establishing rules or rights for themselves, according to History.com.
She wrote the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act of 2016 which provides and guarantees survivors with the right to a rape kit procedure at no cost, including the requirement that the kit be preserved for 20 years.
Nguyen was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 and became the founder and CEO of a multibillion sector called Rise. Rise is a non-governmental civil rights organization that advocates for survivors’ rights while assisting them in writing or passing their own bills, according to History.com.
She and countless other AAPI have contributed to the progression and benefits of U.S. citizens. People pay homage to these historical events by celebrating the cultures, traditions and beliefs of the AAPI community. The Tacoma Chinese reconciling park was originally designed to commemorate the horrific 1885 expulsion of Tacoma’s Chinese citizens by city leaders.
Near the park, there is a mural that also commemorates the Chinese community and their history by artist Mary Mann. It shows a bright contrasted tranquil silhouette of a person sitting down in front of the moon near a red shrine surrounded by red chrysanthemums.
There are additional murals on the underpass support beams along Schuster Parkway. It’s another addition of the incredible contributions to members of the AAPI community who have solidified their contributions in our country. Writer Benjamin Fredell has an article that goes into depth about this mural and the additional paintings.
Today, it marks a place of reflection, education and reconciliation to end systemic racism and promote a more multicultural community. Though several systemic prejudices against these minorities remain, building parks that symbolize this commitment to creating equality and diversity help deepen trust between all community members.
The Tacoma Buddhist Temple is another historic Asian American facility that followers of the Buddhist sect Jodo Shinshu founded by Japanese monk Shinran Shonen can visit. In 1915, Japanese Americans gathered together to form a singular place where everyone could come and benefit from a church. At first, the church was held in a rented room on the second floor of the Hiroshima Hotel at 15th Street and Market Street.
As membership grew the church was able to afford a bigger area which is located behind the UW YMCA at 1717 S. Fawcett Avenue. Their membership has grown significantly from hosting events like the Obon festival or Sukiyaki dinner to which the public is invited. Sukiyaki Dinner is an annual event that serves the traditional Japanese dish called Sukiyaki which consists of thinly sliced meat, rice and vegetables with classic Asian spices.
The public can order food at the temple and chat with their local community. Obon festival is another yearly event which honors the spirits and ancestors that have passed with remembrance and a ceremonial candle vigil. People are allowed to dance in the street in front of the temple in traditional Japanese Kimono garments and watch Japanese Taiko drumming performed.
If you would like to explore more AAPI celebratory heritage events, the Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) has a list of upcoming events that they plan to host. Some of these upcoming events for this month include the First Mongolian Day on May 20 and the fifteenth Annual Samoa Week occurring July 20 to 26 at different locations. In addition, Filipino Day is planned for Oct. 25 at APCC with details to be announced.
