Researchers Around the World Righting a Wrong

Last month, the Director of the American Studies Program at Stanford, Dr. Shelley Fishkin, spoke at the U.S.-China Peoples' Friendship Association regarding her research : The Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project (See part one.) The idea for a railroad put forth by President Lincoln was necessitated by the agonizing time it took to get from west to east, the inefficiency of travel and communication. To construct the most difficult part (the stretch through the Sierra Nevada) one of the owner's, Leland Stanford, suggested using Chinese labor. See Part Two. This was an odd suggestion at the time, as Stanford had promised to get rid of the Chinese. (See Part Three.) Approximately 12-15,000 Chinese worked on the western portion of the transcontinental railroad--an estimated 80-90% of the work force.  Yet, there is little documentation of their participation. (See Part Four.)

To right this wrong, and to avoid repeating that disgraceful 1969 ceremony at the 150^th anniversary of the railroad’s completion in 2017, Dr Fishkin and Dr. Chang convened a group of researchers at Stanford, creating the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project. The purpose of the project, which is sponsored by universities, foundations and private donors worldwide, is to find out who these Chinese were and what happened to them. For, despite the overwhelmingly large participation of the Chinese on the railroad, very little is known about them as individuals. There are no memoirs to turn to. Very little written documentation.

The Chinese Railroad Workers Project is exploring every avenue.

1. They are looking at photographs, and payroll records. From the latter, it is clear that not only did Chinese workers have to pay for their food and lodging and tools from their wages, they weren’t paid as well. "According to one scholar’s calculations," said Dr. Fishkin. "The Chinese workers cost the Central Pacific about two-thirds of what it paid white workers."

(To be continued.  Next: Harshest Winter on Record Doesn't Stop Railroad Progress.)