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Legacy tells the story of the Chinese railroad workers [VIDEO]

May 26, 2021

 

CALIFORNIA—The Asian American and Pacific Islander community is diverse and deep filled with a wide range of experiences and roles inside and out of the Forest Service. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been in the Forest Service for generations. From coast to coast, in all grade levels and in numerous different capacities, Asian Americans are serving every day to care for the land and serve people. In a year that has seen an increase in violence against the community, it seems more important than ever to highlight the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the development of our country.

Just over 150 years ago, Chinese railroad workers blasted and chiseled their way through the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountain range while working on the Transcontinental Railroad. In 2019, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the “golden spike,” the moment the Transcontinental Railroad was complete. As part of the celebration, the Chinese railroad workers who shaped the rocks and were often overlooked, were finally given the national recognition they were due.

Historic photo - Chinese worker
An unnamed Chinese Railroad Worker. Photo courtesy Stanford University, the Alfred A. Hart Photo Project Collection.
Rock wall
China Wall within the Tahoe National Forest. Photo courtesy of the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association, photo taken by Kyle Lancaster.

The Forest Service has told this story for years. In fact, the agency’s documentary film, Legacy, chronicles the original contributions of those workers, as well as the various organizations and individuals who worked to highlight their stories.

The film started as a small project to document the 2019 Return to Gold Mountain Tours. In 2018 and 2019, the Pacific Southwest Region and the Tahoe National Forest, along with the 1882 Foundation and the U.S.-China Railroad Friendship Association, jointly hosted tours to allow educators, members of the public and descendants of the original Chinese railroad workers to explore the associated cultural sites within the Tahoe National Forest.

Woman sitting on train seat. looking out window
A Chinese Railroad Worker descendent attending the Return to Gold Mountain Tour. Photo courtesy of the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association, photo taken by Kyle Lancaster.
Group photo
USDA Forest Service employees attending at Outreach event at the Chinese New Year in San Francisco, California. Photo courtesy of the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association, photo taken by Chad Leto.

Legacy evolved to also document outreach events in San Francisco attended by Forest Service employees, especially members of the Asian Pacific American Employee Association. It includes interviews with Sue Lee of the Chinese Historical Society of America, Ted Gong from the 1882 Foundation, and Phil Sexton, a local historian.

Legacy debuted at the 2020 Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City, California.

Kyle Lancaster, from Gigantic Film Co., supplied most of the beautiful cinematography that makes Summit Tunnel and other important cultural heritage sites within the boundary of the Tahoe National Forest come to life.

To learn more, visit Stanford University's Chinese Railroad Workers in North America project or oral history projects like Talk Story, presented by the 1882 Foundation.

Rock tunnel
The famous Summit Tunnel constructed by Chinese Railroad Workers. Photos courtesy of the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association, photo taken by Kyle Lancaster.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/delivering-mission/excel/legacy-tells-story-chinese-railroad-workers-video-0