Chinese workers who united the States_美文_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Chinese workers who united the States

Would history have been different if the Chinese workers had been in the photo and publically credited for their immense input? Possibly.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 banned Chinese laborers from entering the US. Chinese immigrants already in America were barred from obtaining citizenship. The act was repealed in December, 1943.

The Pacific Rail Bill that congress passed in 1862 committed the nation to the completion of a line that would span the continent to help the country get closer to Asia and, ironically, in view of the photo, China in particular. The outbreak of the civil war made it imperative to deliver a sense of unity. Congress selected the Central Pacific to build east from Sacramento and the Union Pacific to build west from the Missouri River.

The Union Pacific had the less arduous task with relatively flat terrain to cross and hiring labor was no problem. The Central Pacific section had few workers and the Sierras to overcome.

Thousands of Chinese toiled in scores of labor gangs. Facing two of the worst winters on record, the Chinese tunneled through solid granite cliffs, felled trees and laid the track that knitted the country together. The line was like a bandage over a war wound, a sign of healing.

They used primitive equipment, pick and shovel, and explosives to hack out Summit Tunnel. Disease, explosions, land and snow slides took a cruel toll.

Relations between the US and China can sometimes seem fraught. But an understanding of those who helped forge the United States can provide an insightful counterbalance and a narrative of inspiration.