1867 Chinese Labor Strike Explained

In June 1867, two thousand Chinese Transcontinental Railroad workers participated in a general strike (a collective action) for a week along the Sierra Nevada range, demanding better working conditions.[1] By 1867, the Central Pacific Railroad workforce was composed of 80-90% Chinese laborers and the rest were European-Americans.[2] The workers in the Chinese project were literate and well organized, but left no written records.[3] Despite the lack of written account from the Chinese workers, it is apparent from reports in the press and from the railroad bosses that the Chinese workers were hard-working, peaceful, and that the strike was carried out with no violence.[4] The strike was organized in June, at the time of the Summer Solstice, and carried it out a way that strongly reflected Confucian values. The strike lasted a little over a week, and the workers returned peacefully to work.[5]

Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford

The main historical record for the Chinese Labor Strike of 1867 has come from a Stanford University initiative called the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project.[6] This repository covers the Chinese Labor Strike of 1867 and includes research materials,[7] a bibliography,[8] a digital materials repository,[9] exhibits,[10] a curriculum guide[11] and oral histories with railroad worker descendants.[12]

Notes and References

  1. News: . Chinese Labor / Transcontinental Railroad . NBC News . 2022-05-08.
  2. Web site: Fuchs . Chris . 150 Years Ago, Chinese Railroad Workers Staged the Era's Largest Labor Strike . Jun 21, 2017 . NBC News . 2022-05-08.
  3. News: Shashkevich . Alex . Stanford project gives voice to Chinese workers who helped build the Transcontinental Railroad . 2022-05-08 . Stanford University . Apr 18, 2019.
  4. Ryan . Patrick Spaulding . Saving Face Without Words: A Confucian Perspective on The Strike of 1867 . SSRN Working Paper . Mar 22, 2022 . 4067005 . 2022-05-08.
  5. Web site: Gandhi . Lakshmi . The Transcontinental Railroad's Dark Costs: Exploited Labor, Stolen Lands . 8 October 2021 . History.com . 2022-05-08.
  6. Web site: Stanford University . Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project . Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project . Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford . 2022-05-17.
  7. Web site: Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project . Research publications and accessible resources provided by the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford . Stanford University . 2022-05-17.
  8. Web site: Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project . Bibliography . 2022-05-18 . Stanford University.
  9. Web site: Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project . CRRW Digital Materials Repository Galleries . Stanford University . 2022-05-17.
  10. Web site: Stanford University . Exhibit of Li Ju Photographs Earns Awards . Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project . 14 October 2019 . 2022-05-17.
  11. News: Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Communication . Curriculum Guide . 2022-05-17 . 2018-09-18.
  12. Web site: Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project . Oral Histories and Interviews . Stanford University . 2022-05-17.

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