North End in Tacoma in Pierce County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)

Journey to Reconciliation

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, October 18, 2023

1. Journey to Reconciliation Marker

Inscription. “Unfortunately, we know more about the people who drove the Chinese out of Tacoma than we know about the Chinese themselves. So we can only imagine what those 200 Chinese people felt as they boarded the train, or what 500 other Chinese residents must have felt in the days before the expulsion, as they fled from this city. And saddest of all, we can only imagine who this city might be different if the descendants of those Chinese were part of this community. Our imagination may be an imperfect substitute for a real historical record. But the ability to imagine the pain, the fear, and the anguish that those Chinese felt is truly an important step on the road to reconciliation.”
Governor Gary Locke, May 16, 1997

In 1982, when Dr. David and Mrs. Signy Murdoch moved to Tacoma and learned of the expulsion, they coordinated with city and state officials, as well as community activists, to initiate a process of reconciliation, in hopes of healing the city of Tacoma from this "most reprehensible occurrence."

Their collaborative efforts evolved into the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation (CRPF). CRPF, founded as a non-profit

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

corporation in 1994, is dedicated to promoting peace, harmony, and understanding in Tacoma's multi-cultural community, and providing a historical memory and healing of the tragic expulsion of the Chinese people from the city of Tacoma in 1885.

Erected by Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Immigration. A significant historical year for this entry is 1885.

Location. 47° 16.481′ N, 122° 27.605′ W. Marker is in Tacoma, Washington, in Pierce County. It is in North End. It is on North Schuster Parkway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1741 N Schuster Pkwy, Tacoma WA 98402, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Puget Sound Region

and in Greater Seattle.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Cascade Range,

in the Inside Passage,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, October 18, 2023

2. Journey to Reconciliation Marker

The Fuzhou Ting, a pavilion, is a gift from Tacoma's Sister City of Fuzhou, China, and an emblem of reconciliation.

least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Aftermath and Indictments (within shouting distance of this marker); Climate of Exclusion (within shouting distance of this marker); Planning of the Expulsion (within shouting distance of this marker); Journey to Gold Mountain (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to the Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Fannie C. Paddock (approx. 0.2 miles away); Janet Elder Steele (approx. 0.2 miles away); First School House in Tacoma (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tacoma.

Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, October 18, 2023

3. Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park

The park is intended to preserve and retell the history of Chinese people in Tacoma and to provide a place for reconciliation and remembrance.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 6, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 121 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 6, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.