Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) led a press conference outside his Brooklyn office on Saturday, May 10, the anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, to announce a celebration of Chinese-American railroad workers to be held at the State Capitol in Albany, N.Y. With him were Assemblymember Grace Lee (D-Lower Manhattan) and City Councilmember Susan Zhuang (D—Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Dyker Heights, Boro Park and Sunset Park), both of whom have been working to gain recognition of the workers here in New York, as well as many community leaders.

On May 14, Assemblyman Colton will introduce a resolution recognizing the achievements of these often-forgotten laborers, many of whose descendants live in Brooklyn today. The effort is supported by the Assembly’s Asian Pacific American Task Force, which is coordinating an exhibit tracing the workers’ history. This year is the 156th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. A bus will bring many local residents to Albany to join the celebration. 

“These workers labored in difficult, often unsafe conditions and many lost their lives, yet, sadly, their contribution to American greatness was not recognized until just a few years ago,” said Assemblyman Colton. “The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, which they enabled, was the next step forward for our country, and helped jumpstart much of the economic growth that propelled America forward, yet these workers did not get the recognition to which they were clearly entitled. Sadly, even at the final ceremony when the railroad’s completion was celebrated, they were not allowed to participate. Despite that, even after they finished that monumental task, they were not done. Many of them moved right here to New York and went to work on the Long Island Railroad, helping to build an important link for our own community.”

"For too long, the Chinese laborers who helped build the Transcontinental Railroad were erased from history. Our event in Albany is about honoring their legacy, uplifting Asian American contributions and making sure these stories are seen, heard and remembered—especially in a time of rising anti-Asian hate," said Assemblymember Lee, chair of the Asian Pacific American Task Force. "Thank you Assemblyman Colton for organizing this event, and I look forward to welcoming everyone to Albany this week.”

For her part, Councilmember Zhuang introduced a resolution in the City Council to make May 10 Chinese American Railroad Workers Memorial Day in New York City. “It was a historic moment,” she said, describing it as “one step towards educating all New Yorkers of the contributions Asian immigrants made to America. As the state will formally recognize these workers on May 14, it’s my duty to continue pushing New York City to acknowledge our history. I will fight to make sure we have an AAPI curriculum for our students. Asian immigrants’ stories are American stories and we must keep them alive.”

Among those present at the press conference was Joseph Luo, president of the American Association of Cantonese, who is a fifth-generation descendant of a Chinese railroad worker. “My great-grandfather,” he said, “came to the U.S. in 1864 to help build the Central Pacific Railroad. My great-grandfather and other Chinese workers helped build modern America with their hard work, skills and sacrifice. They should be remembered and honored.”

Also present was Zhaoxiong Du, a representative from the MTA Chinese Association, who said, “I am proud and thrilled to participate in the press conference and look forward to attending the ceremony that will honor the Chinese Railroad Workers and their historic contributions to America.”

According to the United States Department of Labor (DOL), which includes Chinese Railroad Workers in its online Hall of Fame, Chinese immigrants worked on the construction of the western stretch of the Transcontinental Railroad between 1865 and 1869, despite the difficult working conditions and in the face of prejudice.

As many as 20,000 Chinese laborers toiled in the effort, according to Stanford University, which initiated the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project in 2012, in recognition of the realization that those who worked on the railroad had basically been ignored by history.

Assemblyman Colton’s proclamation, when it passes on May 14, will make New York the first state in the country to recognize the contributions of Chinese-American railroad workers through the legislative process.