The California State Assembly has formally recognized the contributions of Chinese Americans in building Yosemite National Park, reports the Sierra Star.
Assemblyman Frank Bigelow presented the resolution at the Yosemite Gateway Partners Fall meeting to the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California.
“For too many generations we have limited our stories about the people who were involved with special places like Yosemite. In this complex and challenging society we live in, just talking about John Muir is not enough,” Jack Shu, Co-Founder of the Sing Peak Pilgrimage, said to Gold Rush Cam. “Hopefully this resolution will help move us to provide park visitors a more complete and richer history. By commemorating this inclusive past may we all be inspired to become better human beings.”
The resolution reads, “Despite anti-immigrant sentiments and racism, Chinese immigrants became an indispensable workforce by taking on jobs that were not desired by others and performing tasks so well that today their accomplishments illustrate the highest levels of human achievement.”
You can read the entire resolution at My Mother Lode.
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