Rep. Chu Introduces Resolution Recognizing the 1885 Rock Springs Chinese Massacre

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Chair Emerita of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), introduced a resolution recognizing the 1885 Rock Springs Chinese Massacre, one of the deadliest acts of anti-Chinese violence in United States history.

On September 2, 1885 in Rock Springs, Wyoming, a mob of more than 200 white miners and townspeople attacked Rock Springs' Chinese community, murdering at least 28 Chinese miners and burning the town's Chinatown to the ground. These Chinese immigrants were brought to the United States to work under harsh and exploitative conditions in Union Pacific Coal Company mines, where they were paid less than white workers, excluded from labor unions, and subjected to rampant anti-Chinese discrimination fueled by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the first federal law to ban immigration based on race and nationality.

"The Rock Springs Chinese Massacre is one of the most horrific and shameful acts of anti-Asian violence in our nation's history," said Rep. Chu. "Chinese immigrant workers helped build America's railroads, mining industries, and critical infrastructure, yet they were exploited, dehumanized, and treated as scapegoats for America's economic problems. In Rock Springs, an argument erupted into a violent massacre when white workers brutally beat, bludgeoned, and murdered dozens of Chinese workers simply because of their identity, destroying an entire community and forcing survivors to flee for their lives. None of the perpetrators were held accountable. In fact, many celebrated the violence. That is why I am proud to lead this resolution to preserve the truth of what happened in Rock Springs, honor the victims and survivors, and ensure future generations understand this painful chapter of our history so that hatred like this is never repeated.

The resolution also honors the contributions of Chinese immigrant laborers whose work helped build the United States despite enduring exploitation, discrimination, and violence. Additionally, the resolution condemns efforts to erase or distort the history of the massacre, supports educational efforts related to the Rock Springs Massacre and the broader history of anti-Asian discrimination in the United States, and recognizes Congress's responsibility to confront and learn from this history.

"The Rock Springs Chinese Massacre of 1885 is one of the most violent and least acknowledged chapters in Asian American history," said Huy Pham, Executive Director of Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP). "APIAHiP commends Representative Chu for this resolution, which does not just memorialize the victims but calls for the documentation, interpretation, and preservation of the site itself. Recognizing what happened in Rock Springs is inseparable from preserving the places where it happened, and this resolution takes both seriously."

"This resolution is important at many levels. Two stand out: It demonstrates that our nation is strong enough to acknowledge wrongs and, at a second level, we understand that building our future together, we must know our history," said Ted Gong, Founder and Board Chairman of the 1882 Foundation.

"This resolution recognizes the dark history of anti-Chinese sentiment in the U.S., which included discriminatory laws, expulsions, and racial violence," said Laura W. Ng, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Grinnell College and Co-Principal Investigator of the Wyoming Chinatowns Archaeology Project. "Acknowledging instances of anti-Chinese violence across the United States such as the 1885 Rock Springs Chinese Massacre contributes to much-needed nationwide education on why a violent mob attacked the Chinese community in Rock Springs, and demonstrates the importance of archaeological research on the Rock Springs Chinatown."

The resolution is cosponsored by Reps. Meng, Khanna, Velázquez, Tlaib, Simon, and Holmes Norton.

The resolution is endorsed by Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP), the 1882 Foundation, Stop AAPI Hate, and was worked on alongside Professors Laura Ng and Dudley Gardner from the Wyoming Chinatowns Archaeology Project.

The full text of the resolution is available here.