Today marks 83 years since President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, the racially–targeted order that led to the forced removal of 120,000 Japanese Americans and unlawfully incarcerated them in prison camps across the West Coast. Market families with Japanese ancestry were abruptly arrested and imprisoned until the end of the war. Farmers were forced to give up their land and livelihoods, they were expelled from the city, and never returned to sell at Pike Place. We acknowledge the irreversible harm and generational impact that Japanese-American incarceration had on the Market community. The exclusion of members of our community contradicts the very principles of the Market Foundation that Nikkei (of Japanese lineage) farmers and merchants helped instill in our neighborhood. We are working with the community to collect and share stories about Japanese Americans who helped build this community 117 years ago at Pike Place Market. Read the full history, submit a story and learn about our commitment to keeping our community safe and supported now and for future generations. Read More

We at the Pike Place Market Foundation apologize to our community. We acknowledge our decision around Day of Remembrance and Resistance created direct harm and impacted our entire community, specifically our Japanese American neighbors, and we want to be better allies moving forward.    We are in communication with Tsuru for Solidarity to work on repairing and restoring this relationship so that we can be better partners, allies and advocates in the future. Our commitment is and has always been to keep our community members safe and supported.    While we are not an advocacy organization by definition, we do have a role to play as leaders and allies in our community.     Pike Place Market is a place for all people and the Pike Place Market Foundation is deeply committed to our community and standing strong together.   We can and we will do better.   Lillian Sherman Executive Director Pike Place Market Foundation  Read More