PROCLAMATION

OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION

WHEREAS, King County is home to diverse communities and has been for many

generations; and

WHEREAS, We are disturbed and alarmed by the severity and frequency of hate crimes and

race-based harassment against Asians and the Asian Pacific Islander

Communities associated with COVID-19 in King County and throughout the

world; and

WHEREAS, Language that evokes xenophobia endangers our communities who are

experiencing heightened discrimination; and

WHEREAS, Our community has long benefited from the rich diversity of our immigrant

population including rich cultural traditions, political and economic

contributions; and

WHEREAS, The Port of Seattle values the relationships we have built with all our trading

partners including those in Asia first affected by COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, Seattle has a history that includes support for racial and social justice for all

communities; and

WHEREAS, We are pledged to not repeating the egregious acts of discrimination committed

in King County in recent history including the incarceration of Japanese during

World War II and the exclusion of Chinese in the 1880s; and

WHEREAS, No race, nationality or ethnicity is responsible for COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, having Chinese ancestry –or any other ancestry—does not make a person more

vulnerable to COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, Ignorance is the lifeblood of conspiracies that hamper our ability to fight the

pandemic and endanger the most vulnerable; and

WHEREAS, The Port of Seattle recognizes the negative impact of institutional and structural

racism, past and present and responded by creating an office of Equity,

Diversity and Inclusion to address these issues; and

WHEREAS, An insensitive minority have vilified our Asian communities in response to the

COVID-19 virus, inflaming racism and inciting xenophobia in countries across

the globe; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the Port of Seattle Commission hereby proclaims that racism against

Asians and Asian Americans shall not be tolerated in any form, AND we stand in support of

individuals and communities targeted by association with Covid-19, AND we urge everyone to

interrupt instances of racisms and intolerance by speaking up in support of equity, justice, and

inclusion.

We urge everyone to report instances of racism and intolerance to The Washington State Human

Rights Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. Port of Seattle

employees are encouraged to report all instances of discrimination on the job to the Port’s Office

of Workplace Responsibility.

Proclaimed by the Port of Seattle Commission this 12th Day of May 2020.