This week, I am helping to organize an event for Stanford's Asian American alumni community, through SAPAAC, the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club. It will feature a talk by Prof. Gordon Chang on the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America History Project. As Americans, and particularly as Americans of Asian descent, this is our story. The Transcontinental Railroad was one of America's most pivotal infrastructure developments, yet the contributions of the people who actually built it are, to this day, rendered largely invisible. Stanford scholars, in partnership with others from around the world, are carrying out innovative scholarship to shed light on this crucial period of our history and to make the story whole.
I've included event details below. Get your tix here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sapaac-a4p-summer-social-the-race-to-build-americas-infrastructure-tickets-12145871629
I've included event details below. Get your tix here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sapaac-a4p-summer-social-the-race-to-build-americas-infrastructure-tickets-12145871629
SAPAAC / A4P Summer Social:
The Race to Build America’s Infrastructure
Professor Gordon Chang on the Chinese Railroad Workers History Project
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 www.chineserailroadworkers.stanford.edu for more information.
Get tix here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sapaac-a4p-summer-social-the-race-to-build-americas-infrastructure-tickets-12145871629
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 www.chineserailroadworkers.stanford.edu for more information.
Get tix here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sapaac-a4p-summer-social-the-race-to-build-americas-infrastructure-tickets-12145871629