In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Seattle’s public-school system was growing. Proposition 22, a $5.5 million funding levy, appeared on the November ballot in 1960. While some of the money was for normal operations and maintenance, the Seattle School Board pointed to the system’s needs to cover additional pupils, rising supply costs, teacher salary increases and staffing of new buildings.

Members of Seattle’s Asian American community supported Proposition 22 and urged everyone to get out and vote. Here, at the offices of the multi-racial Jackson Street Community Council, Yoshiro “Philip” Hayasaka (b. 1926) looks on as Akia (Miro) Kuniyuki (1919-2002) paints a pro-vote message on the wall in Japanese. To their right, Ruth (Jung) Chinn (1914-2007) holds a pro-vote message in Chinese. At this time, Hayasaka was secretary of the newly formed Chinese Improvement Association and executive secretary of the Jackson Street Community Council. Kuniyuki was president of the Bailey Gatzert Elementary School PTA, and Chinn was a member of the board of trustees of the Chong Wa Benevolent Society.

Caption information source: The Seattle Times: January 14, 1960, p. 10; May 18, 1959, p. 37; Oct. 11, 1959, p. 78; November 3, 1960, p. 120.