Today in Labor History February 9, 1886: President Cleveland declared martial law in Seattle because of anti-Chinese violence instigated by the Knights of Labor. The union, which was one of the first to organize workers of different ethnicities, as well as women, was notorious for their anti-Chinese sentiment. They participated in numerous other anti-Chinese riots and supported the xenophobic Chinese Exclusion Act.
#workingclass #LaborHistory #antiAsian #hate #riots #xenophobia #seattle #knightsoflabor #racism #union #martiallaw #immigration #chinese
