翻译：Jia Liu
亞太公共事務聯盟 (APAPA) 从今年五月開始在加州举辦了紀念華工建設美國太平洋鐵路150週年 (150th Anniversary Celebration/ Chinese Building The US Transcontinental Railroad) 的系列活動, 得到了多位美國两院國會議员的支持。鐵路華工歷史圖片展 (Historical Photo Exhibition) 将在十二月一日至九日(Dec 1 — Dec 9) 移至紐約舉行。
目前亞太聯盟呼籲大家響应國會众議員孟昭文Grace Meng 與 US Asia Institute ‘簽署請願书”的倡議活動，請大家在請願書上簽上名。
讓我們一起請願，要求發行一張慶祝建設美國太平洋鐵路150週年及紀念美國華工移民當年對建設美國鐵路作出的巨大貢獻的郵票。
請您簽！請您的朋友簽！
跨洲鐵路無疑是19世紀世界上最偉大的工程之一，它把原來東西兩岸間6個月的行程縮減為1週，極大地促進了美國國內經濟的發展，並支撐了跨洲鐵路後時代美國國內經濟的繁榮。
作為這個歷史大事件中的無名英雄，一萬二千多名中國移民修建了跨洲鐵路的西段，他們構成了中央太平洋鐵路公司80%以上的勞動力。他們中的許多人冒著生命危險工作，並因此在嚴冬和危險的工作環境中喪生。他們面臨著偏見，低工資，社會隔離，有時甚至還有死亡的威脅。據斯坦福大學的文獻，華工做著最困難最危險的工作，賺取的報酬卻不到其他工人的三分之一。
近1200名中國工人死於各類安全事故，雪崩和爆破，比例高達10％！在自身被迫忍受危險艱難的工作條件的同時，中國鐵路工人依然勇敢地挺身而出，組織起來為了更公平的工資和更安全的工作環境而努力！他們的奉獻與努力不僅把我們的國家連為一體，也為包括移民和本國工人在內的所有的工人爭取到了改善的待遇和安全的工作環境。
在2015年2月，眾議員孟昭文就這個議題提出一項議案，相關決議已提交給國會監督與政府改革委員會。眾議院認為應當發行一枚郵票以紀念1865至1869年間的中國鐵路工人，而公民郵票設計諮詢委員應向郵政署長建議發行這枚紀念郵票。
2019年5月10日是跨洲鐵路落成150週年的紀念日。在這個紀念日，讓我們同時記住這些為美國現代文明辛苦奉獻甚至付出生命的無名英雄吧！他們值得我們用發行郵票的方式來紀念！
請加入我們一起為實現這個目標盡力！
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.
