Day 109: Pike Place Public Market Historic District, Seattle, Washington
📌APIA Every Day (109) - Located in Seattle, Washington, the Pike Place Public Market was established by the Seattle City Council, enabling residents to purchase fresh farm produce directly from local growers. The market opened on August 17, 1907, drawing nearly 10,000 customers who quickly bought out the produce of the eight farmers present. By the year's end, construction began on a long narrow shed housing 76 stalls for farmers and food vendors, offering some protection from the weather.
Given Pike Place Market's success, it's crucial to acknowledge the challenging history of the Japanese American community, which faced significant xenophobia while establishing their livelihoods in Seattle and at the Market. Issei farmers, among the first to sell produce on opening day, played a crucial role in the market's growth. Despite outnumbering white farmers two to one, they encountered discriminatory practices in stall assignments, with preferential treatment given to white farmers. Japanese farmers were pivotal to Pike Place Market's success, supplying 75% of the fruits and vegetables sold.
During World War II, the forced incarceration of Japanese American farmers deeply impacted the Market community. The Market Foundation, established in 1982 to provide service and support for the Market community, acknowledges the profound harm and generational impact of Japanese-American incarceration on the Market on the Day of Remembrance. In 2019, the Market Foundation received the Community Service Award from Seattle's Japanese American Citizens League (JACL).
The significance of the Japanese community's contributions to Pike Place Market is commemorated in various ways, including the preservation of cherry blossom trees. The City of Seattle replaced 40-year-old cherry blossom trees at the Market's entrance with eight new ones on Pike Street in 2023, symbolizing the historic meaning of sakura and honoring the Japanese community's contributions. Moreover, the Market is home to several AAPI-owned businesses in the Seattle area that continue to flourish. In 1971, the Market was designated as a National Register of Historic Places and a Market Historical District. Over the following decade, extensive restoration and redevelopment efforts transformed Pike Place Market into the bustling, vibrant community it is today, fueled by both public and private investment.
LEARN MORE:
Seattle Gov: Pike Place Market Historical District History
Flickr: Produce stall at Pike Place Market, 1936
Pike Art Project: Japanese American Farmers at the Pike Place Market
KUOW: A little known dark episode in Seattle's Pike Place Market
Travel Lemming: Pike Place Market (The Ultimate Guide, By a Local)
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