Meng helps launch salute to Chinese rail builders
Smithsonian honors legacy of laborers who helped build Transcontinental Railroad
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
On the 150th anniversary
of the completion of the
Transcontinental Railroad,
Flushing Congresswoman
Grace Meng helped launch
a new display on May 10 at
the Smithsonian’s National
Museum of American History
that pays tribute to the
Chinese immigrant laborers
who helped build the
American railroad.
The display, “Forgotten
Workers: Chinese Migrants
and the Building of the
Transcontinental Railroad,”
as well as its companion
display “The Transcontinental
Railroad,” offers insight into
the backbreaking labor that
ultimately connected the
Union Pacific and Central
Pacific railroad companies at
Promontory Summit, Utah, on
May 10, 1869.
The Transcontinental
Railroad has long been
considered one of the most
remarkable engineering
feats of the 19th century, said
Meng. After its completion,
the railroad reduced crosscountry
travel time from
six months to a single week
— facilitating a new era of
commerce; bringing the
country closer together in the
aftermath of the Civil War;
and unleashing the unlimited
potential of the nation.
Meng thanked the
Smithsonian Museum for
recognizing and bringing
attention to the story of the
Chinese railroad workers,
as they celebrated their
memory and a milestone of
the railroad’s completion.
“Today marks the 150th
anniversary of the completion
of the Transcontinental
Railroad that connected our
nation, spurred economic
growth, and unleashed the
unlimited potential of our
nation,” said Meng. “Less
known to the American
public are the enormous
contributions made by Chinese
immigrant laborers who toiled
Meng with Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC)
Chair California Congresswoman Judy Chu and descendants of the
Chinese railroad workers. Photo courtesy of Meng’s offi ce
in extreme weather to lay
down the literal foundations
of our nation. Today, we honor
their memory, sweat, blood,
and labor, and we provide
them with the recognition
they deserve. I hope the
contribution they made to
our country are recognized
and remembered by
all Americans.”
The displays at the
Smithsonian Museum will
run through spring 2020.
In February, Meng
introduced a resolution
that seeks the House of
Representatives’ recognition
of the Chinese railroad
workers. The measure seeks to
honor the sacrifices they made
for the nation and recognize
the important role they
played in America’s history.
The resolution is currently
pending before the House
Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure.
In her statement submitted
to the Congressional Record on
May 10, Meng noted the lack of
acknowledgment for the nearly
12,000 Chinese immigrants
who “endured both the arduous
physical labor of constructing
a railroad and the
emotional trauma of
being discriminated.”
Despite those conditions,
Meng said, the Chinese
railroad workers were
considered indispensable and
were respected for their work
ethic and discipline. Above
all, the workers formed one
of the first organized labor
movements in the United
States for better living wages
and work conditions, which
ultimately opened doors for
future generations.
SM
138-29 39th Avenue, Flushing | 646.828.8650
71-15 Austin Street, Forest Hills | 646.569.3600
These Annual Percentage Yields (APYs) are effective as of 4/25/19 and are subject to change without notice. Account Terms and Conditions apply. Fees could reduce earnings. No brokered deposits accepted.
1 Our Personal Money Market is a variable tiered rate product and the rate may change at any time, in any tier, after account opening. Minimum balance required to open is $2,500. Daily Balances at or below $2,499.99
earn no interest or APY. For daily balances between $2,500 and $99,999.99 the APY is 2.00%. For daily balances at or above $100,000 the APY is 2.15%.
2 Available only at the Flushing Branch. Our Certifi cate of Deposit interest rates remain fi xed until maturity. Minimum balance required to open and earn the APY is $500. A penalty may be imposed for withdrawals before maturity.
© 2019 Hanover Community Bank. All rights reserved.
TIMESLEDGER,8 MAY 17-23, 2019 QNS.COM
/QNS.COM
