The Chinese Helped Build the Railroad – The Railroad Helped Build America tells the story of the more than 12,000 Chinese laborers who built a significant part of the Transcontinental Railroad and the resulting backlash against the Chinese after its completion in 1869.

This historical exhibition traces the Chinese contribution to the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Starting in 2012, photographer Li Ju visited sites along the route of the Transcontinental Railroad. This exhibition presents historical photographs alongside Li’s contemporary images of significant railroad sites to resurrect these stories and honor the achievements of the laborers.

The Chinese Helped Build the Railroad – The Railroad Helped Build America is organized by the Adrian and Monica Yeung Arima Fund, Li Ju and the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford University. The exhibition has received the 2019 California Preservation Design Award.