LOS ANGELES Next year marks the 150th anniversary of when large numbers of Chinese started working on the transcontinental railroad in the United States. Very little is known about these workers lives and what happened to them after the construction ended. Stanford University is working on a project to piece together the lives of the Chinese railroad workers by reaching out to their descendants.
Desperation and courage could very well describe what led Bill Yees ancestors to come to the United States from southern China, and they became a part of key moments in American history.
I dont think I could do it to come to a strange country and dont know a word of English. But I guess its between eating or starving. I guess you have to do what you have to do for your family, said Yee.
My great-great-grandfather came over during the gold rush days and he returned back to China as a wealthy man. My great-grandfather came over to work on the railroad. He came over to work with black gunpowder, black powder on the railroad and he died working on the railroad, said Yee.
But that didnt stop his grandfather from coming to the U.S. on false papers. He ran a laundry and Yees father continued that business.
Things were pretty bad in some parts of China at that time. They came to America at all costs, Yee said.
Shelley Fisher Fishkin wants to hear stories like Yees.
The records of specific individuals and their names and experiences are so sparse, said Fishkin.
Fishkin is co-director of the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford University. She is working with scholars in Asia to look for descendants of railroad workers on both continents to reconstruct the lives of these men.
Many of the Chinese workers who came to work on the Transcontinental and other railroads returned to China after their work was done [and] created families there. Some of them had families who they left when they came here and they may have descendants in China, said Fishkin.
The aim is to create a digital archive of artifacts, documents and oral histories from the railroad workers descendants so historians can piece together the mystery of who they were and what happened to them.
The U.S. could not have become the modern industrial nation it did without the railroads and the railroads would not have come together when they did without the crucial work of these Chinese workers, said Fishkin.
Jonathan Wongs ancestor knew English and left China to work as a translator on the transcontinental railroad. He eventually brought his family to the U.S., and they settled in San Francisco.
He had a [different] experience than having to do labor. He wouldnt go home feeling that he was going to be in danger the next day. It was a closer relationship with the white community, his white superiors, but obviously I know that he was still treated as if he was the inferior minority, said Wong.
Fishkin said racial issues were a part of life as a Chinese railroad worker.
They suffered greatly from discrimination and from prejudice. They were paid less than their Euro-American workers, said Fishkin.
Bill Yee wants his six children and 19 grandchildren to know their family history.
They have to appreciate the sacrifice that our grandparents did for us otherwise I might be working in the rice fields now. So it really brings a big opportunity to this generation, said Yee.
Through the Stanford University project, the lives of these men can be remembered, so the role they played in American history will be remembered by their descendants.
湖北省武汉市部分重点中学2016-2017学年高一上学期期末考试 英语试题含听力 Word版含答案
国产客机C919将迎首飞
南非将开始HIV疫苗试验
四川省成都七中2016-2017学年高一上学期期末模拟英语试题 Word版含答案
国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Turkeys main opposition party in dismay after referendum setback
马云联合国总部发言 互联网应为全世界所用
湖南省师大附中2016-2017学年高一上学期期末考试 英语 Word版含答案
全球最大猪肉生产商计划供应猪器官给人类做器官移植
四川省成都市双流县棠湖中学2016-2017学年高一上学期期中考试英语试题
研究显示 每天吃一枚鸡蛋可降低中风风险
国际英语资讯:Pakistan says army killed 50 Afghan soldiers in firing exchange
国内英语资讯:Chinese submersible explores turbidity current in South China Sea
山东省临沂市某重点中学2016-2017学年高一12月月考 英语 Word版含答案
国内英语资讯:Chinese Vice Premier stresses tight control of property development in Xiongan
吉林省吉林市普通高中2016-2017学年高一上学期期末教学质量检测英语试题Word版含答案
旅美大熊猫回国听不懂中文 这事TM就很尴尬了
淘气的表妹 My Naughty Cousin
你见别人做过哪些超聪明的事?
故宫博物院拟10月全部网络售票
对导航上瘾? 开车过度依赖导航有危险!
安徽省安庆市2016-2017学年高一上学期期末考试英语试题 扫描版含答案
河南省周口市2016-2017学年高一上学期期末抽测调研试题 英语 扫描版含答案
国际英语资讯:Trump congratulates French President-elect, hoping for continuing cooperation
关于迪士尼,你不知道的那些事儿
天津市南开区2016-2017学年高一上学期期末考试 英语 Word版无答案
国内英语资讯:China Focus: Beijing firms bring tech to Belt and Road countries
甘肃省天水市一中2016-2017学年高一上学期期末考试英语试题Word版含答案
河北省石家庄市第一中学2016-2017学年高一上学期期末考试 英语试题 Word版含答案
法杂志刊登凯特裸照 英王室索赔150万欧元
甘肃省兰州五十五中2016-2017学年高一上学期期末考试英语试题Word版含答案
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |