The Wing Luke Museum in Seattle was forced to close after nearly 30 employees, about half of the museum’s workforce, walked out in protest of its new ‘Confronting Hate Together’ exhibit. The strike meant that the tourist had no choice but to close.
Staff are unhappy with the type of language used in the exhibit, stating that some parts of it “conflate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.”
Workers walked off the job on the day of the exhibition’s opening, forcing the museum to close. They vow to remain on strike until their demands are met and the exhibits are changed.
The disgruntled employees, who work at the only Pan-Asian art and history museum in the United States, wrote: ‘Zionism has no place in our communities and being anti-Zionist goes hand in hand with our own liberation as AA/NHPI. our solidarity with Palestine should be reflected in our AA/NHPI institutions.”
Nearly 30 employees at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle walked off the job, forcing the museum to close.
The employees who walked out were protesting against the new ‘Confronting Hate Together’ exhibition.
The 26 striking workers are now demanding the removal of any language from the exhibition that attempts to frame Palestinian liberation and anti-Zionism as anti-Semitism.
They also ask that the museum recognize its ‘limited perspectives,’ conduct a community review, and center voices and perspectives that align with the museum’s mission and values,” the group wrote on social media.
The exhibit had been designed to explore hate against Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander communities, as well as Black and Jewish communities.
It was supposed to be open from Wednesday through June 30, according to the museum’s website.
The Confronting Hate Together Organizers of the exhibition at the Wing Luke Museum
Workers are calling for language equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism to be removed.
Staff, representing about half of the museum’s workforce, closed the museum on the day of the exhibition’s opening and vowed to strike until their demands are met.
One particular panel from the Jewish Historical Society said, “Today, anti-Semitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism,” but that view is a point of contention for striking staff members, who argue that it conveys Zionist perspectives.
“What is happening in Palestine directly reflects the violent colonization and imperialism that has impacted and continues to impact the Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander (AA/NHP) diaspora for generations,” the disgruntled workers wrote online.
The group expressed concern that the exhibition’s depiction of Zionism contradicts the museum’s purpose of addressing the impacts of colonization and imperialism on AA/NHPI diaspora communities.
“Our Museum’s exhibits, education and programs have brought communities together, shared hard stories and conversations, and helped create joy and light amidst the darkness of what the AA/NHPI diaspora often feels and experiences. “, they stated.
The museum remains empty of visitors until parts of the exhibition are modified.
The departing employees argue that Zionism contradicts their mission and that solidarity with Palestine should be reflected in their institution.
Employees suggest that “anti-Semitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism.”
The workers explained why they were unhappy with the exposure in a series of Instagram posts.
Zionism is a movement that advocates the establishment and support of a Jewish homeland in the historic land of Israel, but critics, including many Palestinians, argue that the establishment of Israel caused the displacement of Palestinian Arabs.
Following the staff strike, the museum issued a statement in support of its employees, recognizing their right to express their beliefs and engage in dialogue.
“Wing Luke Museum staff members staged a respectful walkout in protest of content displayed in a new exhibit,” the museum said.
‘As an organization rooted in dialogue, we recognize and support the right of our staff to express their personal beliefs and truths and, to this end, we are holding space for a careful and reflective process of listening with the intention of hearing multiple perspectives in pursuit of a mutual path forward.
Pro-Palestinian protesters chant as they occupy Dodd Hall at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles earlier this month.
‘After closing the Museum this week to listen and engage in candid dialogue with our staff, the Museum looks forward to opening our doors at a future date so that we can continue to serve our community in other necessary capacities during this time. Look for updates from us.’
The museum temporarily closed to listen and engage with its staff and aims to find a path forward that includes multiple perspectives.
The museum plans to offer free admission to the community to experience the exhibit once it reopens.