Tacoma’s annual Walk for Reconciliation Against Racism returns Saturday, Oct. 24, marking the 141st anniversary of the city’s expulsion of its Chinese residents. Organized by the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation, the free public event combines a downtown walk with ceremonies at the Washington State History Museum and Chinese Reconciliation Park.
The opening ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in the museum’s Mt. Tahoma Auditorium. The walk is scheduled to start by 10:45 a.m. near Union Station, led by civic, education, business and faith leaders, along with lion dancers from the Mak Fai Kung Fu Dragon & Lion Dance Association. From there, participants will head north through downtown and along Schuster Parkway to the park.
Organizers have arranged a shuttle for people who can’t or don’t want to walk the route. It leaves at 10:45 a.m. from 1911 Pacific Ave. for the park. The closing ceremony is scheduled for noon, with a return shuttle to Union Station at 1:15 p.m.
The route carries a difficult history. On Nov. 3, 1885, a large group of Tacoma men rounded up about 200 Chinese residents who remained in the city—including families—and marched them out. The expulsion followed a campaign against Tacoma’s Chinese community that included pressure on residents to leave and actions by city leaders. It became known as the “Tacoma Method.”
The annual walk reverses the path of that expulsion. Its route passes through parts of downtown where Chinese—and later Japanese—businesses and homes once stood, then follows the waterfront toward the park. The organizers describe the gathering as a way to remember the expulsion while reclaiming the city for all peoples and cultures.
This year’s closing program will include remarks from Tacoma Police Chief Patti Jackson, Pierce County Councilmember Robyn Denson and former Tacoma NAACP president Jonathan Johnson, along with performances by the University of Puget Sound Taiko Club. Complimentary hot food is also planned at the park. The organizers’ event program has the full schedule, route and shuttle information.
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