A rich history of acceptance

In the early 1900s, nearly half the residents of Mukilteo were Japanese who had come to work in the Crown Lumber Company. =At a time when many mill towns in the Northwest were responding violently to Asian immigrants, the residents of Mukilteo overcame their initial doubts and welcomed the Japanese. Multiple efforts were made to help the newcomers learn English and American customs. For example, special classes were created for the young Japanese-American children so they could be better prepared to enter Mukilteo’s Rosehill School.

When the lumber mill closed in 1930, the Japanese families reluctantly moved to other places to find work. But they never forgot the warm welcome and continuing kindness they had encountered in Mukilteo, even when the friendships could only be maintained through letters to and from the internment camps.

As part of our state’s centennial celebrations in 1989, a Japanese-American wrote a beautiful homage to the warm acceptance of her parents’ generation in Mukilteo. In 2000, a peace crane sculpture was dedicated in honor of the historically harmonious relations in Mukilteo. Mas Odoi, born of immigrant parents in Mukilteo in 1921, was chosen Mukilteo’s “Pioneer of the Year” in 2008, and then honored in 2011 as the Grand Marshall of the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival Parade.

Mukilteo has been and will remain a safe community. But its security is not based on fear, exclusion, and enmity. Its safety has been and will continue to be anchored in the full acceptance of all our residents. This is who we are.

John and Ann Collier

Mukilteo

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

Comment: Why shootings have decreased but gun deaths haven’t

High-capacity magazines and ‘Glock switches’ that allow automatic fire have increased lethality.

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, March 27

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

FILE - The massive mudslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso, Wash., is viewed from the air on March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

Efforts continue in the state to map areas prone to landslides and prevent losses of life and property.

Burke: ‘Why not write about Biden, for once?’ Don’t mind if I do.

They asked; I’ll oblige. Let’s consider what the president has accomplished since the 2020 election.

Comment: Catherine missed chance to dispel shame of cancer

She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she might have used her diagnosis to educate a sympathetic public.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.