The Race to Build America's Infrastructure

The Race to Build America’s Infrastructure

Professor Gordon Chang on the Chinese Railroad Workers History Project

Tuesday, July 29

6:00-6:30 PM  Registration + Alumni Social

6:30-7:30 PM  Talk w/ Dinner

Over 150 years ago, America started construction on a Transcontinental Railroad—a pivotal transportation link uniting the nation that remains in use today. While the public may know that Chinese railroad workers were involved in building this incredible infrastructure, the personal stories of these workers have been sparsely investigated.

An exciting project is currently underway, connecting scholars in China, Taiwan, and the United States, who are now delving into the biographies, daily habits, and social lives of the Chinese immigrants whose labor and commitment made economical cross-country travel possible.

Join us for a social dinner, as Professor Gordon Chang, one of the directors of the "Chinese Railroad Works in North America" project, shares updates on key findings and upcoming commemorations. We will learn more about this unprecedented historical adventure and how the initiative is shedding light on the role of Asians in America as co-creators of critical national infrastructure, Leland Stanford’s fortune, and the story of our country.

About Professor Gordon Chang 

Gordon H. Chang is the Olive H. Palmer Professor in the Humanities and a professor of American history at Stanford University. He received his doctorate from Stanford and his B.A. from Princeton University.

Professor Chang's academic interests lie in the connection between race and ethnicity in America, and American foreign relations. He focuses on trans-Pacific relations and the inter-connections between East Asia and America and is interested in political, social, and cultural interactions from the earliest days of America to the present. His current research project concerns the recovery and interpretation of the experiences of Chinese railroad workers in North America. Please visit chineserailroadworkers.stanford.edu for more information.