翻译：Jia Liu
亚太公共事务联盟 (APAPA) 从今年五月开始在加州举办了纪念华工建设美国太平洋铁路150週年 (150th Anniversary Celebration/ Chinese Building The US Transcontinental Railroad) 的系列活动, 得到了多位美国两院国会议员的支持。铁路华工历史图片展 (Historical Photo Exhibition) 将在十二月一日至九日(Dec 1 — Dec 9) 移至纽约举行。
目前亚太联盟呼吁大家响应国会众议员孟昭文Grace Meng 与 US Asia Institute “签署请愿书”的倡议活动，请大家在请愿书上签上名。
让我们一起请愿，要求发行一张庆祝建设美国太平洋铁路150週年及记念美国华工移民当年对建设美国铁路作出的具大贡献的邮票。
请您签！请您的朋友签！
跨洲铁路无疑是19世纪世界上最伟大的工程之一，它把原来东西两岸间6个月的行程缩减为1周，极大地促进了美国国内经济的发展，并支撑了跨洲铁路后时代美国国内经济的繁荣。
作为这个历史大事件中的无名英雄，一万二千多名中国移民修建了跨洲铁路的西段，他们构成了中央太平洋铁路公司80%以上的劳动力。他们中的许多人冒着生命危险工作，并因此在严冬和危险的工作环境中丧生。他们面临着偏见，低工资，社会隔离，有时甚至还有死亡的威胁。据斯坦福大学的文献，华工做着最困难最危险的工作，赚取的报酬却不到其他工人的三分之一。近1200名中国工人死于各类安全事故，雪崩和爆破，比例高达10％！在自身被迫忍受危险艰难的工作条件的同时，中国铁路工人依然勇敢地挺身而出，组织起来为了更公平的工资和更安全的工作环境而努力！他们的奉献与努力不仅把我们的国家连为一体，也为包括移民和本国工人在内的所有的工人争取到了改善的待遇和安全的工作环境。
在2015年2月，众议员孟昭文就这个议题提出一项议案，相关决议已提交给国会监督与政府改革委员会。众议院认为应当发行一枚邮票以纪念1865至1869年间的中国铁路工人，而公民邮票设计谘询委员应向邮政署长建议发行这枚纪念邮票。
2019年5月10日是跨洲铁路落成150周年的纪念日。在这个纪念日，让我们同时记住这些为美国现代文明辛苦奉献甚至付出生命的无名英雄吧！他们值得我们用发行邮票的方式来纪念！
请加入我们一起为实现这个目标尽力！
附英文原文如下：
Please sign this petition to ask for a Stamp to Commemorate 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad and Its Workers
The Transcontinental Railroad was without question one of the most monumental engineering feats of the 19th century. It reduced cross-country travel times from six months to a single week! This, in turn, facilitated domestic commerce, and was the backbone of economic prosperity enjoyed by the United States of America in the years after its completion.
The unsung heroes of this landmark moment of progress, 12,000 Chinese immigrants constructed the western section of the Transcontinental Railroad, comprising more than 80 percent of the workforce of the Central Pacific Railroad Company. Many of these workers risked their lives and perished during the harsh winters and dangerous working conditions. They faced prejudice, low wages, social isolation, and sometimes even death. Stanford University cites they earned one third less than than the other workers and were given the most difficult and dangerous jobs.Nearly 1,200 Chinese workers died from work accidents, avalanches, and explosions (1 out of every 10).
Despite the dangerous and challenging working conditions they were forced to endure, Chinese railroad workers courageously took a stand to organize for fairer wages and safer working conditions. Their efforts not only bridged our nation together, they advanced the cause of good, safe jobs for all workers, immigrant and native workers alike.
In February 2015, Congresswoman Grace Meng introduced a bill to the US House of Representatives about this very topic. Its resolution, which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, expressed that it was the sense of the House of Representatives that a commemorative postage stamp
should be issued in honor of the Chinese railroad workers from 1865 to 1869, and that the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend to the Postmaster General that such a stamp be issued.
May 10, 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of the day the final stake was driven into the ground, completing the Transcontinental Railroad. These unsung heroes who paved the way for modern America with their lives deserve to be memorialized on a U.S. postage stamp to commemorate this anniversary. Let's make it happen.
立足硅谷，放眼世界，【美国华人】 (ChineseAmerican.org) 是一个立场中立、供美国华人发声及进行交流的互联网新媒体平台。我们的宗旨是：美国华人团结一心、关心政治、共同进步。欢迎各界投稿、传送社区活动资讯、产品项目推广等，让【美国华人】成为服务华人社区的互惠平台。
关注美国华人微信公众号: chinese-americans
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