NEW YORK, May 29 -- New postage stamps were unveiled at a ceremony held Wednesday in New York city to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first transcontinental railroad, to which thousands of Chinese railroad workers made great contributions.

The ceremony was held by Grace Meng, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She was joined by officials from the U.S. Postal services, and the Museum of Chinese in America to pay tribute to the Chinese immigrant workers.

"The story of the Chinese railroad workers is a story that must be told, and today we are doing exactly that," said Meng at the ceremony.

The railroad, first of its kind to connect the country from coast-to-coast, was more than 3,000 kilometers' long. It has long been recognized as one of the most remarkable engineering feats of the 19th century. After its completion, the railroad reduced cross-country travel time to just a week from six months.

Some 12,000 Chinese workers helped construct the railroad under extremely dangerous and challenging conditions between 1865 and 1896.

During the time, the Chinese workers who comprised more than 80 percent of the workforce of the Central Pacific Railroad Company, were tasked with the most difficult and hazardous jobs, but were poorly paid.

Growing up in New York city as a kid, Meng did not learn much about the history. She said one of the reasons why she pushed through the issuing of the stamps is that she wanted to make sure "future generations know and understand the profound impact that these Chinese railroad workers had made on this country."

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