Dr. Raymond Douglas Chong, Texas
Descendant of Railroad Worker Bein Yiu Chung
Bein Yiu Chung, my great-great-grandfather, was a Chinese Railroad worker on the first Transcontinental Railroad- Iron Road, from 1865 to 1869. He was one of thousands of contract laborers, sons of poor farmers from the Sze Yup region in Kwangtung, to pursue their golden dreams. His tale and the other ones of the Iron Road should never be forgotten."
The Chinese railroad workers, as sojourners, faced constant hardship and discrimination to build the Transcontinental Railroad, the greatest engineering feat of the 19th century - a work of giants."
Lim Lip Hong, my great-grandfather, was a member of the very first Chinese crew that Charles Crocker hired in Dutch Flat in January 1864. He went on to build railroads for the next 13 years- to Salt Lake, Virginia City, Truckee, Reno- until he was chased out of Virginia City by the Chinatown fire in 1876. He was separated from his Native American wife and two children then, but found them again many years later."
Andrea Yee
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The work of my great-grandfather Hung Lai Wah and his brother Jick Wah in building the Transcontinental Railroad are my direct personal link to this part of our American history. I stood in the middle of the Great Summit Tunnel and in the darkness touched the walls of granite where they toiled for 15 months and where Uncle Jick Wah lost an eye in a blasting accident. I could feel the presence of the Chinese men from 150 years ago. I am proud of what these young men from Guangdong accomplished for themselves and for America."
These stories of immigrant-American courage and perseverance define who we are as a people. We all come from bold, determined, and courageous immigrants whose lives and actions built this great nation. There is a Chinese proverb that states, "When drinking water, you must always think of its source and not forget its origin." In other words, you have to know where you come from. This important message is for us as individuals but also as a nation. We, as a nation, must celebrate these stories of heroic immigrant accomplishments, because their courage and spirit is in every one of us. Our lives should reflect honor upon this spirit that gave us life as individuals and as a country.”
Dr. Russell N. Low
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Vicki Tong Young, Lake Forest
Descendant of Railroad Worker Mock Chuck
My great-grandfather, Mock Chuck, led his Chinese crew in 1865-1866 and conquered the towering forests, granite mountains and 13 foot snowdrifts to build the railroad. They accomplished the impossible, inch by inch, by hand and by heart. As I stood in the frigid cold at Donner Summit, I felt his pride in accomplishing what no one had ever done."
Descendant Vicki Tong Young and husband Eric Young taken at Promontory, Utah on May 10, 2019, at the 150th Golden Spike Celebration. Eric is wearing a Stanford hat, and both are wearing Chinese Historical Society of America t-shirts, in honor of the Stanford/Chinese Historical Society of America railroad worker project.
This early Chinese contribution represents the struggle of all early immigrants in the United States and not always in the most fair manner. But despite harsh treatment, the success of the Chinese shows that these contributions were not small. They were significant and affected our country greatly. Knowing this significant feat, among many others in this country, creates better understanding of who we are as Americans."
Baldwin Chiu
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It's very important for people to know the true history of the Chinese workers in building the Transcontinental Railroad, because we are in a moment in history where immigrants are being demonized again on a grand scale. Ignorance, racism, and white supremacist attitudes led to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. It took 61 years to be repealed. Even after its repeal, the Chinese contribution barely rates a mention in the mainstream textbooks compared to the Big Four. I hope that the 150th anniversary will spark new appreciation of those many thousands of unnamed railroad workers and the sacrifices they made."
Paulette Liang