SEATTLE – Artwork dedicated to Japanese Americans incarcerated in WWII was discovered vandalized on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District.

Timeline:

Jeff Liang, Interim Executive Director with Chinatown International District’s Business Improvement Area (CID-BIA) says he was alerted of the defacement on Monday in Nihonmachi Alley, the Japantown area of CID.

“It’s like trying to wipe away or hide history,” said Liang. “They wasted a lot of anger and went through a huge amount of effort just to do this, to target us.”

It’s unclear when the vandalism happened or who committed the act.

CID resident Luc Glasco says they saw the mural smeared in black paint on Sunday.

“I noticed it was just smeared, and it had some Bible verses written on it,” said Glasco. “The people right there were covered in crosses and what not.”

The vandalism is being discussed among advocacy groups such as OCA Greater Seattle – Asian Pacific American Advocates.

“So earlier, we googled what the verses are actually supposed to mean, and we can’t really find a connection,” said Stella Liu, a UW student and intern for OCA Greater Seattle.

What they’re saying:

Fellow intern Dylan Lai admits he doesn’t understand what the verses are supposed to mean, but he believes he knows what they’re meant to do.

“[The vandalism] is so disrespectful because it’s a tactic to separate us and who they think belongs here,” said Lai.

CID residents like Christopher Yip said the vandalism was “shameful.”

“These art pieces have a lot of meaning for people in this part of town,” said Yip.

For now, Liu believes solidarity needs to be shown and people need to speak up.

“Just let people know this is happening so that it doesn’t continue happening in silence,” said Liu.

As of Tuesday morning, Liang with CID-BIA says crews have already cleaned up the graffiti and he is working with the building’s owner in Nihonmachi Alley to file a police report.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: South King Media Founder/Publisher Scott Schaefer serves on the Board of Directors for the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce.

The Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce is starting 2025 with a renewed commitment to serving local businesses and the community, according to incoming Board Chair Navdeep Singh, General Manager of Westfield Southcenter.

In a statement, Singh reflected on his experience with the chamber since joining in 2022, noting that the organization goes beyond supporting businesses by actively engaging in community initiatives.

“The chamber exemplifies its founding principle, ‘Together we are Stronger,’” Singh said.

The chamber has played a significant role in the Southside area by hosting technical assistance workshops for small businesses, organizing career development programs such as the Seattle Southside Success Foundation Workforce Discovery Labs, and advocating for community and business interests in legislative discussions.

Looking ahead, Singh emphasized his priority of continuing to strengthen the chamber’s foundation in 2025. He encouraged members and community partners to participate in upcoming programs, connect with the chamber’s resources, and collaborate on initiatives aimed at building a stronger Southside community.

“We look forward to serving this great community in 2025,” Singh added, inviting residents and business owners to engage with the chamber and seek assistance if needed.

Here’s full text of Singh’s statement:

For more info, please visit:

Related

SEATTLE – When you step outside, you feel it. Right now, it’s dangerously cold outside, but at many shelters there’s not enough room inside, shelters like the Bread of Life Mission.

“We’re always full, we’re seeing longer lines, and we’re letting people stay a little longer each day, but there’s not enough beds in Seattle,” Kim Cook, President and CEO at Bread of Life Mission said. “It breaks my heart to turn people away.”

By the numbers:

Especially since the area has seen bitter cold temperatures the last few days and, according to the point-in-time count, more than 16,000 individuals experienced homelessness in King County on a single night in 2024.

“We really believe that people have an innate dignity, and it’s not okay for them to be out on the street,” Cook said.

Kim Cook, President and CEO at Bread of Life Mission

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She told FOX 13, they have up to 40 emergency beds in the chapel. Each person gets a shower and a warm meal, Cook said. They have another 110 beds for those who are part of their programs, but she wishes there was more they could do.

What’s next:

Which is why, on Wednesday, Bread of Life Mission partnered with 14 other rescue missions across the country for what’s being called ‘Conversations on a Bench.’ 

“I’m going to sit out on a bench out on the street for 24 hours and I’m just going to talk with people about homelessness,” Cook said.

The goal is to raise awareness of homelessness, addiction, and mental health and be livestreamed for 24 hours.

“I think no one person or government has the answer and if we don’t come together and have conversations around the issue, we’re never going to solve this,” Cook said. 

“I’m going to sit there for 24 hours and experience what it is to be out in the cold in Seattle, thankfully I have a bed to go home to after the event, but for many of the people we serve, they don’t have that.”

Part of the ‘Conversations on a Bench’ event will include Cook interviewing people from different organizations to really paint a picture of the homeless crisis here.

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