Denver formally apologizes for anti-Chinese riot in 1880 that left one dead

The city of Denver formally apologized to early Chinese immigrants and their descendants for riots that ravaged the city's Chinatown and left one person dead.

Advocacy group Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU) led a ceremony Saturday to help raise awareness about the attack’s lasting impact on the city’s Asian American community.

CAPU Vice Chair Joie Ha said the city’s acknowledgment is a step toward coming to terms with Denver’s racist history.

“We’re being seen,” Ha said. “Oftentimes, Asian Americans are the invisible minority. A lot of things that go on in our community aren’t really taken seriously; they’re brushed under the rug.”

But this moment is different for Ha and other Asian Americans in Denver.