Name/Title
Proclamation recognition contribution Chinese to railroads, 2019Entry/Object ID
2025.27.1Description
Acc. No. 25.27.1
Subject Category: Ethnic Groups, Chinese; Railroads, steam
Date or Period: 2019
Description: one sheet letter-size paper, with text computer-printed in black type, with computer-printed seal of the City of Alameda, with heading: ‘Proclamation’. Dated May 5, 2019. It is signed by then-Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft.
Size: L 11 x W 8 inches
History of Object: Proclamation, signed on the occasion of the 150-year anniversary of the arrival of the first trains from the midwest into Alameda, recognizing the contributions of Chinese immigrants in building the intercontinental (and other) railroads and opening up more efficient ways to connect the two coasts of the United States.
The text of the proclamation was phrased by the donor, and was signed thanks to his diligent advocacy. Other historians dispute some of phrasing - for instance, the trains already existed, so establishing the intercontinental connection was not a technological improvement, but an organizational improvement in infrastructure. Also, despite the propaganda at the time, the railroad did not in fact connect directly to the Pacific Ocean, and there was no bridge across the Missouri, so the trains came from Omaha, not the east coast.
Nonetheless, it is an important document, acknowledging the impact of the contribution of ethnic Chinese immigrants, who would be subsequently severely restricted in their movements and rights in the early 20th century.
Donor: Victor T. Wong
Donation Date: May 11, 2019
Catalog Date: 1/27/2025
