In memory of the 140th anniversary of the government sanctioned expulsion of Chinese residents from Eureka, the Humboldt Asian and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity (HAPI), a DreamMaker Program of the Ink People Center for the Arts, is hosting an informal gathering, altar and walk at the Eureka Chinatown Mural on Sunday.
The expulsion, which took place within a 24-hour period over Feb. 6 and Feb. 7, 1885, resulted in the mass forced removal of Chinese residents in Eureka. Hundreds of residents were taken from their homes in what once was Eureka’s Chinatown and sent to San Francisco. Expulsion then remained the law of the land in Humboldt County for 60 years.
The small gathering Sunday will meet at E Street and Charlie Moon Way, where artist David Kim’s mural “Fowl” overlooks the street, starting at 1 p.m. At 2.45 p.m., gatherers will take flowers from an altar and walk down to the waterfront to release them into the bay.
HAPI plans to host the event rain or shine, so it encourages attendees to bring an umbrella or raincoat to stay dry. The event is set to end at 3 p.m.
For more on the legacy of Chinese expulsion and the Eureka Chinatown Project’s efforts to create a commemorative monument in Old Town, check out past Journal coverage here.
Anne To (she/her) is a California Local News Fellow placed with North Coast Journal, Inc. Reach her at (707) 442-1400, extension 312, or anne@northcoastjournal.com. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
This article appears in The Humboldt County Fair is at a Crossroads.