《美国铁路华工和广东侨乡基础性工程研究》论文摘要（中英文）

黄安年文   黄安年的博客/2014年9月8日发布

   北美华工与广东侨乡社会国际学术研讨会（InternationalSymposium on “The North America Chinese Laborers and Guangdong QiaoxiangSociety”）今天上午在中山大学永芳堂二楼学术讲演厅举行，这个学术研讨会是由中山大学历史学系、美国斯坦福大学历史系、《广东华侨史》编委会、美国斯坦福大学‘北美铁路华工研究工程’主办的。在第一个学术报告和讨论环节，大会安排我就提交的《美国铁路华工和广东侨乡基础性工程研究》论文发言，下面是该文的中英文摘要。

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美国铁路华工和广东侨乡基础性工程研究

(提交北美华工与广东侨乡国际学术研讨会论文)

              (2014年9月8日)

黄安年（北京师范大学）

2015年是大批华工参加建设美国中央太平洋铁路的150周年,2019年则是美国第一条横贯美洲大陆接轨并正式通车的150周年。美国太平洋铁路建设的历程告诉我们，没有华工的参与就不可能有美国太平洋铁路的提前七年完工,这是美国作为一个新型的崛起中的发展中国家和富有古老中华文明的出洋农民工合作共建的举世瞩目的伟大建设工程,也是美国近代崛起为太平洋国家的标志性事件。

研究华工建设北美铁路，不仅具有历史、文化、经济和美中交流的重要意义，而且在今天建设南美两洋高速铁路的时代,回顾150年前的艰难岁月具有多方面的启迪意义。

美国铁路华工绝大部分来自广东的五邑等珠江三角洲的侨乡地区。全面深入地研究美国铁路华工活动工程,无论从哪些方面讲都不能离开对于广东侨乡地区华工远洋美国建设铁路和生活状况的研究。

本文的重点则在阐述美国铁路华工研究和我国广东侨乡基础性研究工程之间的关联。

    一，强化基础性研究工程是当务之急

首先，开展美国铁路华工基础性研究，无论对于美国还是中国的研究者来说都是责无旁贷的。

其次，在我国，美国铁路华工基础性研究工程尚处起步阶段，因此更加具有紧迫性。

第三,目前急需组织立项攻关突破研究中的难点、疑点

二、拓展广东侨乡美国铁路华工基础性研究工程建议

在这里,笔者仅举例如下:

1，从政府档案、文献资料中仔细寻找

2，从地方志、乡志、族谱、家谱中仔细查找

3，从石刻墓碑资料中寻找

4，从著译作、学术性论文、学位论文中寻找

5，从清末以来期刊、报纸、侨刊、乡讯中寻找

6，从馆藏文献及私人书信、日记、笔记手稿中寻找

7，从建筑遗存中寻找

8，从美国铁路华工后裔口述调查中寻找

9，从会馆、社团组织档案资料中寻找

10，从文艺影视作品、文化照片产品、网络文章中寻找

11, 从中外网络数据库资料中寻找

12，呼吁建立北美铁路华工网站数据库平台

三, 结尾：推动广东侨乡尽人皆知，各尽所能

美国铁路华工基础性工程关系研究工程的整体质量。笔者以为：

第一,需要专家队伍、地方机构、民间组织需要协调攻关，这三股力量缺一不可,为此需要广东华侨华人的侨务机构顶层设计,组织力量。

第二，倡导电视报刊和网络媒体舆论先行，惟有这样才能推动广东侨乡尽人皆知，各尽所能。

第三，衷心期盼中山大学、暨南大学、五邑大学三驾马车，当仁不让，冲锋陷阵。

最后,我想强调的是，开展美国铁路华工的基础性研究难度大，不仅需要立项、资金和人力等量化指标到位,而且需要一种潜心治学、刻苦钻研，坚持不懈的精神,一种道钉精神,笔者呼吁发扬道钉精神,以出色的基础性研究成果来缅怀一个半世纪前的侨乡先人、沉默的道钉们！

Groundwork ResearchProject of Chinese Railroad Workers in the USand the Hometowns of Overseas Chinese from Guangdong

(Paper submitted to the "InternationalSymposium on Chinese Railroad Workers in the USand the Hometowns of Overseas Chinese from Guangdong")

(Sept.8,2014)

HUANG Annian, Beijing Normal University

2015 marks the150thanniversary for a large number of Chinese workers to participate in theconstruction of the American Central Pacific Railroad, and 2019 marked the150thanniversary of connection of tracks and opening for through traffic of FirstTranscontinental Railroad of the United States. The process of the constructionof US Pacific Railroad indicated that without the participation of Chineserailroad workers, the railroad could not have been completed seven years aheadof schedule. This spectacularproject that had once drawn the attention of the world, was an achievementjointly accomplished by the emerging and developing Americaand the migrant farmers from Chinaas an ancient civilization. It was alsoa landmark event that signified the rise of the United States into a Pacificcountry.

Studying therole of Chinese workers in the construction of North American railroads hassignificance in history, culture, economy, and China-US exchanges. Moreover, today,when construction a transcontinental railroad in South America is being planned,reviewing the hard times 150 years agomay inspire us in many ways.

The Chineserailroad workers in the United Statesmostly came from Wuyi, Guangdongand other hometowns of overseas Chinese in the Pearl RiverDelta.   The study of Chinese railroadworkers in the United Stateswill not be complete and deep enough without studying the contribution ofrailroad workers coming from Guangdongand their life.

The focus ofthis paper is to explore the relationship between the study of Chinese railroad workersin the United States and thegroundwork research project of the hometowns of overseas Chinese from Guangdong.

    I.  Stepping up the groundwork research projectis the first priority at the present

First, carrying out thegroundwork research of Chinese railroad workers in the United States is the unshirkable responsibility of scholars from both China and the US.

Second, China's groundwork research project of Chinese railroadworkers in the United Statesis still in the embryonic stage, and is much more imperative.

Third,Currently, we should strivefor project approval, and endeavor to make breakthroughs in the difficult andcontroversial problems.

II. Suggestions for expandingthe groundwork research project of Chinese railroad workers in the United Statesfrom Guangdong  Province  

Here,I will only give a fewsuggestions:

1. Search carefully government archives anddocuments

2. Search carefully the local records, townshiprecords, clan pedigree, and genealogy

3. Rake through the gravestone engravings

4. Pay attention to  the monographs, translated works, academicarticles, these and dissertations

5. Look for relevant materials from theperiodicals, newspapers, publications of overseas Chinese, and townshipbulletins

6. Look for valuable materials in thecollected documents of the libraries, and private letters, journals, notes, and manuscripts

7.Sear the ruins of the buildings

8.Note the oral history of the descendants of Chinese railroad workers in the US

9. Look for materials in the records ofthe associations and societies

10. Look for clues in the literary, film,and TV works, photos, and internet articles

11. Retrieve materials from the onlinedatabases in both Chinaand other countries

12. Appeal for establishment of an onlinedatabase platform of Chinese railroad workers in North  America

III. Conclusion: Enhance the awareness ofthe people in the hometowns of overseas Chinese about the research project, andsolicit the utmost help of everyone

The groundwork project of theChinese railroad workers in the United   States concerns the overallquality of the whole research project.  Ithink:

Firstly,The experts, the localinstitutions, and the civil societies must coordinate and join hands toimplement the project; and each party is indispensable. This requires the top-level design and careful organization of theOverseas Chinese Affairs Offices of Guangdongprovince .

Secondly, we should strengthenpublicity through TV, newspapers, and net media so as to enhance the awarenessof the people of the hometowns of the overseas Chinese of Guangdongand to coordinate the efforts of all.

Thirdly, I sincerely hope thatSunYat-senUniversity,JinanUniversity(Guangzhou)and Wuyi  Universitywill play the leading role in carrying out the project.

Finally,I'd like to emphasize that given the various difficulties of the groundworkresearch of Chinese railroad workers in the United States , preferentialpolicies in project approval, funding, and manpower support should be enacted.Moreover, the completion of the project requires down-to-earth and assiduousstudy and relentless efforts,andit requires the promotion of the heroism and resolution of the railroadworkers. I think that we should commemorate the forerunners of the overseasChinese--the "silent spikes"--half a century ago with extraordinaryachievements of the groundwork research!