History of Chinese Americans in Seattle

[1] Chinese settlement persisted, with the immigrants settling in a well-defined Chinatown where they maintained their culture through family groups, associations, and churches.

This resentment was felt in other states as well, notably California, and in 1882 it led to the passage of the federal Chinese Exclusion Act.

[1] In 1886, Washington Territory added a constitutional provision barring aliens ineligible for citizenship from owning property, which effectively prohibited Chinese immigrants from land ownership.

[4] At first the Chinese workers settled along the eastern edge of Pioneer Square, in the area now occupied by the 2nd Avenue Extension.

[7] The Internment of Japanese Americans during World War II led to the abandonment of Japan Town and its takeover by other ethnic groups from Asia and the Pacific Islands.

[9] In 1962 Wing Luke became the first Asian American to hold elected office (Seattle City Council) in Washington state.

[11] As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 45,018 Chinese Americans living in King County, including 3,088 who identified themselves as Taiwanese.

[12] Members of the Chinese American community run the gamut from those whose families have lived in the United States for generations to recent immigrants.

[12] Chinese settlers in the Seattle area maintained their identity through tongs and family associations such as Gee How Oak Tin.