The completion of the transcontinental railroad in May 1869 is usually told as a story of national triumph and a key moment for American Manifest Destiny. The Railroad made it possible to cross the country in a matter of days instead of months, paved the way for new settlers to come out west, and helped speed America s entry onto the world stage as a modern nation that spanned a full continent. It also created vast wealth for its four owners, including the fortune with which Leland Stanford would found Stanford University some two decades later. But while the Transcontinental has often been celebrated in national memory, little attention has been paid to the Chinese workers who made up 90 percent of the workforce on the Western portion of the line. The Railroad could not have been built without Chinese labor, but the lives of Chinese railroad workers themselves have been little understood and largely invisible.
This landmark volume explores the experiences of Chinese railroad workers
Debra Bolton began in public radio in 1980 as a classical, jazz, and folk music hosts, at different times and in the role of news reporter. She produces about two radio shows annually, one with a focus on Geography Awareness Week in music and the annual production of Cantigas de Santa Maria, which combines her passion for history and music of medieval times.
Jennie Pu brings Asian American experience to Hoboken s library hudsonreporter.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hudsonreporter.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.