SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
There's a photograph from 2014 of two trains facing each other against a wide-open sky. Gathered between the trains and on top of them are a group of Chinese Americans - young, old, some dressed in the style of the 1800s, others in modern jackets and jeans. The photo was taken by Corky Lee, a man known for bringing Asian Americans to the forefront of history through his work. Corky Lee died this week at the age of 73 from complications of COVID-19. NPR's Andrew Limbong has this appreciation.
ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE: That picture, the one of the Chinese Americans in front of the two trains, was actually a recreation of a famous photo from 1869. It was taken at the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in Utah. Yes, that famous photo had two trains, a big sky and people celebrating the railroad.