Tue, Dec 15
|Tacoma
WACT Speaker Series | The Legacy: Tacoma's Trial Over Yamamoto's Inheritance, 1929
In 1929 Tacoma, a fifteen-year-old boy’s inheritance became a battle over race, immigration, and political power. Historian Michael Sullivan recounts the trial over John McAleer’s will. Discover how loyalty to the Yamamoto family challenged the exclusionary politics of a powerful congressman.
Time & Location
Dec 15, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Tacoma, 565 Broadway, Tacoma, WA 98402, USA
About the event
Local historian Michael Sullivan will present his research into the 1929 Tacoma trial over pioneer John McAleer's will, which provided for the family of his longtime Japanese farm manager, Kichigoro "Kay" Yamamoto, including Kay's fifteen-year-old son, Ray. The estate, valued at more than $200,000 plus valuable farmland, became the subject of a closely watched case in Pierce County Superior Court. This disputed inheritance brought questions of immigration, racial discrimination, and political power into a Tacoma courtroom.
Against the backdrop of Washington's discriminatory land laws, McAleer's wishes challenged the exclusionary politics championed by US Representative Albert Johnson, chair of the House Immigration and Naturalization Committee and a leading architect of the restrictive Immigration Act of 1924. This is a true story of loyalty, justice, immigration, and political power.
Michael Sean Sullivan is a public historian, writer, and historic preservationist. He has taught Pacific Northwest history at the University of Washington Tacoma for more than 20 years. Michael created the website TacomaHistory.live and co-produces the short form documentary series, Tacoma Home Movies. Michael co-founded the historic preservation firm, Artifacts Consulting, and he is an advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Michael is Board Chairmen for HistoryLink (the online Encyclopedia of Washington State History) and serves on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
IMPORTANT: WACT is excited to hold our event at the historic McMenamins Spanish Ballroom at the Elks Temple! Follow the link to purchase tickets with McMenamins.
If you value these conversations, please consider supporting our mission by making a donation through our Support Our Work page.
