Museum shut down after staff stormed out over antisemitism exhibit

The Wing Luke Museum in Seattle has been forced to close after nearly 30 staffers, about half of the museum’s workforce, walked out in protest at its new ‘Confronting Hate Together’ exhibit. The walkout meant the tourist had no other option but to close. The staffers are unhappy with the type of language used in the exhibit claiming parts of it ‘conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism.’

The workers walked off the job on opening day of the exhibit, forcing the museum to close. They are vowing to remain on strike until their demands are met and the displays are changed. The disgruntled staffers, 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.’

The 26 striking workers are now demanding the removal of any language from the exhibit that attempts to frame Palestinian liberation and anti-Zionism as antisemitism. They are also calling for the museum to acknowledge 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 run from Wednesday through June 30, according to the museum’s website. One panel in particular from the Jewish Historical Society said: ‘Today, antisemitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism’ – but such a view is a point of contention for the striking staffers, who argue that it conveys Zionist perspectives.

‘What is happening in Palestine directly reflects violent colonization and imperialism that has and continues to impact Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander (AA/NHP) diaspora for generations,’ the disgruntled workers wrote online. The group raised concerns that the exhibit’s portrayal 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 together communities, shared hard histories and conversations and helped create joy and light among the darkness of what AA/NHPI diaspora often feel and experience,’ they stated. Zionism is a movement that advocates for 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 led to the the displacement of Palestinian Arabs. Following the staff walkout, the museum issued a statement in support of its employees, acknowledging their right to express their beliefs and engage in dialogue.

‘Members of Wing Luke Museum’s staff held a respectful walk-out in protest of content on display in a new exhibit,’ the museum said. ‘As an organization rooted in dialogue, we acknowledge and support the right of our staff to express their beliefs and personal truths and to this end, we are holding space for a careful and thoughtful process of listening with intent to hear multiple perspectives in pursuit of a mutual way forward.

‘After closing the Museum this week to listen and earnestly engage in dialog with our staff, the Museum looks forward to opening our doors at a future date so that we can continue serving our community in other needed capacities during this time. Please look for updates from us.’

The museum closed temporarily to listen and engage with its staff and is aiming to find a way forward that includes multiple perspectives. The museum plans to offer free admission to the community to experience the exhibit once it reopens.

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