Gurpreet Singh

“An injury to one is an injury to all’. This trade unionist slogan coined to bring international solidarity is best represented by a memorial in Bellingham.

An Arch of Healing and Reconciliation was erected in 2017 to recognize the violent acts of racism against immigrants from India, China and Japan. 

Plaques acknowledging the historic wrongs committed against these groups at different times greet visitors from both sides of the arch.

One of them is about the ugly events of 1885, when the Chinese people were driven out of Whatcom county. Another two are about the 1907 riots against Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims from India, and the removal and incarceration of Japanese people in 1942.

A 2007 proclamation recognizing the September 4, 1907 violence is also framed among the plaques. Made by the City of Bellingham to mark 100 years of the riots, the proclamation had laid the groundwork for the monument. In fact, September 4 was proclaimed as a Day of Healing and  Reconciliation. 

Although the proclamation acknowledges the government policies’ impact on Indigenous communities, a plaque dedicated to Indigenous peoples in the US would have made the arch even more meaningful, considering that we are all on their traditional lands and yet they continue to suffer systemic racism.

The floor of the structure has brick slabs with greetings in different languages. The ones in Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu say welcome to everyone. The most remarkable part of the memorial is that it’s not just confined to any one particular community, and has tried to include the stories of all the diverse groups of people speaking different languages and following different religions and customs. That makes this place special and worth visiting for any newcomer who needs to know the racist history of the US, and to understand how white supremacy doesn’t discriminate between people of colour and everyone who is vulnerable.