Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association

Preserving the Legacy of the Chinese Railroad Workers

Photo of the 154th Golden Spike Anniversary with Chinese railroad workers reenactors (2023). Courtesy of Harmon Li.

Founded in 2017, the Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association (CRWDA) is a national, membership-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which seeks to preserve, promote, and protect the contributions made by Chinese railroad workers to the United States.

Through our educational and philanthropic efforts, we support academic research, historic preservation, and artistic projects that further the understanding and appreciation of the sacrifices, struggles, hardships, and contributions made by generations of Chinese and Chinese Americans to the United States.

What We Do

Photo of the November 2023 Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Monument at the Utah State Capitol. Courtesy of the Utah State Senate Photographer

Photo of the Monument by Karen Zhou (2024)

Monument at Utah State Capitol

With the support of the community and generous individuals, CRWDA built the first monument in Utah that commemorates the resilience and perseverance of the Chinese railroad workers at the Utah State Capitol.

Golden Spike Anniversary

May 10, 1869, marked the completion of the U.S. Transcontinental Railroad made possible by 12,000 Chinese immigrants. But was left out of iconic photographs taken, CRWDA reclaims that history by being involved in the planning of the annual Golden Spike anniversary celebration.

Photo of Margaret Yee, CRWDA Chairwoman, and Chris Merritt, State Preservation Officer for Utah.

Historic Preservation Work

CRWDA works with the Utah State Historic Preservation Office to preserve the sites and legacies of Chinese people in Utah. From finding the first Chinese home of a railroad worker in the US to translating Chinese tombstones, and preserving Chinatowns all over Utah.