Coolies

Author: Yin

During the Ching Ming festival to honor their ancestors, Paw Paw (grandmother) tells her young grandson the story of her great-grandfather Shek and his younger brother, Wong. Anxious to find work during desperate times in China, the boys leave their family behind and emigrate to America in the mid nineteenth century. After a difficult two- month voyage, the two arrive in San Francisco and are hired by the Central Pacific Railroad Company to build tracks towards the east. Enduring dangerous working conditions, primitive equipment, hatred, and prejudice, the two become "coolies," the lowly workers who achieved the amazing feat of building the Transcontinental Railroad. Told through the personal story of two brothers, the book explores themes of family loyalty, courage, and sacrifice which are integral to our nation's immigrant history. Illustrated with panoramic paintings, Coolies will inform and inspire young readers.

Coolies

Year Released: 2001

Grades 4-5