Tacoma Method Memorial Knot, rope and steel, 2024, photographed by Teddy McDonald. Tacoma Method Memorial Knot
On view May 9–21
In 1885, there were over 500 Chinese people living in Seattle and Tacoma. They worked as contract laborers: as fishermen, loggers, in construction, and domestic service. They did the jobs that white workers didn’t want to do. But as the economy worsened, the Chinese workers were blamed for stealing jobs. One organization, the Knights of Labor, waged a hateful campaign against the Chinese workers, which culminated in two acts of violence in Seattle and Tacoma. White supremacist mobs raged through the two Chinatowns, breaking windows, stealing, and forcing people into the streets to be marched onto boats or trains out of the city. In Tacoma, the Chinatown was burned down so they could never return. This act became known as the “Tacoma Method,” and it was repeated across the country.
On May 9 and 10 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. at ARTS at King Street Station, artist Ahmoy William Lau will tie 500 knots as performance art, one for each Chinese person who was violently displaced. This performance will be accompanied by poems by Brian Dang, information about the Tacoma Method, and an ancestral altar created by local artists. As anti-immigrant sentiment rises once more in this country, we can draw lessons from history to strengthen our movements today.
ARTS at King Street Station is open Wed. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. on First Thursdays. Admission is free. The gallery is located at 303 S. Jackson St., Top Floor, Seattle, WA 98104.
