In 2019, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) celebrates the 150th anniversary of the historic moment when a golden spike was driven into the ground at Promontory Summit, Utah to mark the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. To honor the thousands of Chinese railroad workers whose contributions have largely gone unnoticed, MOCA is launching a year-long initiative to commemorate and tell the history of Chinese people in the United States over the past 160 years. "MOCA Spike 150 - Running Forward With Our Stories" will rally 1,500+ runners across the country to collectively run 150,000+ miles, telling 150+ stories and organizing 15+ special events in order to fundraise to support MOCA’s effort to preserve and present the stories of Chinese in America.

The event will culminate in the TCS NYC Marathon on November 3, 2019. MOCA welcomes you to join us in this unprecedented initiative, and welcomes runners to follow in the footsteps of this country’s first pioneers and make history.

Chinese War Brides

In 1945 after the end of World War II the United States passed the War Brides Act. This allowed returning US soldiers to bring back their alien spouse, and children from overseas as a non-quota immigrant.

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Fifteen Facts / 15个修建铁路小知识

  1. President Abraham Lincoln signs the first Pacific Railroad Act on July 1, 1862, the first concrete step by the federal government to provide support for the transcontinental railroad. 1862年7月1日，亚拉伯罕•林肯总统签署了第一部《太平洋铁路法》，这是联邦政府为支持横贯大陆铁路建设而采取的第一步实质性的支持。
  2. The Transcontinental Railroad was one of the Pacific Railroads. It started construction in 1863 and was completed on May 10, 1869 横贯大陆铁路是太平洋铁路线之一。它始建于1863年，于1869年5月10日竣工。
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NJ Marathon: Striving and Achieving As One

Yesterday, May 10, 2019–on the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad completion, I was at Promontory Point in Utah. When I walked passed a large group of young children dressed with railroad conductor hats and blue and white pin stripe railroad uniforms, I asked them if they were going to perform a song in honor of the 150th Anniversary. They replied in happy unison, “yes!” This group was the Utah Children’s Choir. I asked them if they knew that the Chinese helped build the railroads. They replied even more energetically and in triumphant unison, “yes!!!” An hour later they would perform a piece titled “As One” that would move the audience of over 15,000 visitors on this special anniversary date.
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MOCA Spike 150 全美线上接力准备起跑!

为了纪念华人为建设这条铁路所做出的巨大贡献，美国华人博物馆(MOCA) 隆重推出MOCA Spike 150: Running Forward With Our Stories！这个历时数月的公益活动自新年开始，至11月3日纽约马拉松推向高潮。其中的标志性活动Spike 150 线上接力跑，在5月10日150周年宣布起跑，以跑团为单位，每周接力，连续25周，至纽马终点线结束。期待凝聚全美各地的华人跑团為公益而跑，彰显在美华人的历史及其保存展示的重要性！也希望借着这次的主题活动，改变过去媒体中对华人的刻板形象，用奔跑的脚步讲述属于我们自己的故事！
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MOCA Spike 150: Chinatown 7M Run

“Our memory is made up of our individual memories and our collective memories. The two are intimately linked. And history is our collective memory. If our collective memory is taken from us - is rewritten - we lose the ability to sustain our true selves.” ~Haruki Murakam
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A Great Day in Long Branch

Leading up to the NJ Marathon, Half Marathon, and Marathon Relays on April 28th, a few passion-driven official NJM pacers have organized a 5-week training program free of charge to the incoming runners. Two sets of distances and routes are designed for every of the five weekends, customized to fit runners’ training progress, for both full and half marathon participants.
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