In a new exhibition, the overlooked contribution of Chinese workers is being brought to the light for the 150th anniversary of the railroad’s completionWhen one thinks of the transcontinental railroad, rarely do Chinese migrants come to mind. The transcontinental railroad at 150 – in pictures Read moreBut this exhibition takes a different tack, tracing the forgotten Chinese workers who built the western leg of the railroad across the Sierra Nevada mountains, connecting the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroad in 1869. “Historians have always known and written about the Chinese workers, but it’s forgotten by society,” said Peter Liebhold, who co-curated the exhibit with Sam Vong. “The 150th anniversary is not just about completing a railroad, but the workers involved.”From 1863 and 1869, roughly 15,000 Chinese workers helped build the transcontinental railroad. “On the west, there were Chinese workers, out east were Irish and Mormon workers were in the center.

Source: The Guardian July 18, 2019 06:00 UTC