RSVP to Roots Unveiled Opening Reception

Roots Unveiled, set to be held at the Austin Public Library from May to August 2025, is a multidisciplinary exhibition where contemporary art dialogues with history. The exhibition focuses on the early Chinese immigrant history in the United States, particularly drawing from the rich historical research on Chinese Americans in Texas. Contemporary artists aim to engage with history through visual art, installation, documentary, and classical music, offering audiences a lens into the over-100-year history of Chinese people in North America since the 1800s, bringing to light the often-overlooked stories of Chinese Americans.

Image 1. Austin Public Library © Austin Public Library

This exhibition was initiated by June Xu, a Chinese American artist from Houston. After the introduction of discriminatory clauses in Texas’s 2023, the racist Alien Land Bill targeting Chinese communities, Xu began focusing on the historical narratives and identity of Chinese immigrants. She hopes to explore collective memory, cultural identity, and social transformation through art. One of her works was recently collected by the U.S. Air Force and is permanently displayed at the Pentagon. Her involvement in advocacy during the 2023 Alien Land Bill legislative process made her fully aware of the growing anti-Asian sentiment since the pandemic, which stems largely from the lack of public education and stereotypes about Chinese history and culture in mainstream American society. She emphasizes the urgency of exhibitions and educational efforts that review Chinese American history and recognize their contributions to society.

To address this, she founded a nonprofit cultural organization—the Asian American Art & Culture Initiative—together with Chinese American communities in Houston, Austin, and Dallas. The organization aims to provide opportunities for exhibition, artistic creation, and educational exchange for Chinese and Asian American artists, facilitate collaboration between artists and cultural institutions both in the U.S. and internationally, and encourage Chinese communities to participate in research on their own culture and history.

This exhibition is curated by renowned international independent curator Sylvia XuHua Zhan, founder of the London Chinese Visual Festival and China Cultural Connect. Zhan is a scholar and curator specializing in Chinese diaspora studies and the history of Sino-Western cultural exchange. With extensive experience in cross-cultural exhibition planning, she has curated numerous themed exhibitions across Europe and the Greater China region, committed to telling stories of history and humanity through art.

For this project, Sylvia Xuhua Zhan conducted in-depth research on early Chinese American immigration history, utilizing archival documents from the Austin History Center. She invited a range of artists to join this dialogue. Contributing contemporary artists include American artists Philip Cheung, June Xu, Jing Yang, and Michael Wei, Chinese artists Li Wei, Luo Yao, and Sylvia Xuhua Zhan herself, and British artist Gary Card.

Although Texas has the third-largest Chinese population in the U.S., many still face challenges of cultural adaptation and identity, along with the impact of stereotypes and invisible discrimination against Chinese communities. This exhibition focuses on the history of Chinese immigration from 1783 (the founding of the U.S.) to the post-World War II era. Topics include U.S.-China diplomatic relations following the establishment of formal ties, the nearly 20,000 Chinese railroad workers who built the Transcontinental Railroad, the discriminatory Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and its repeal in the 1940s, and the complex relationship between China and the U.S. as both competitors and collaborators.

These pivotal events deeply shaped Chinese immigration patterns and lives from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Despite facing tremendous hardship, early Chinese immigrants played a vital role in the development of the U.S.—from building railroads to establishing vibrant communities. The second wave of immigrants in the latter half of the 20th century brought new perspectives, aspirations, and cultural contributions that further enriched the Chinese American experience.

Image 2. The Empress of China, the first U.S. trade ship to China after American independence, 1784 © State Library South Australia

Image 3. Chinese export porcelain used by President George Washington — The Cincinnati Service © The Diplomatic Reception Room

Image 4. Signing of the Burlingame-Seward Treaty of 1868, which established friendly and equal diplomatic relations between China and the U.S. under international law. This treaty opened the door for Chinese labor immigration to meet U.S. industrial demands. However, later economic downturns and rising anti-Chinese sentiment led to its amendment in 1880 and the eventual passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. (Harper’s Weekly, June 1868) © Artability Art & Collection

Image 5. The 1869 completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Though 80% of the workforce were Chinese laborers, they were excluded from the celebratory photo. Their contributions were only officially recognized 150 years later. (Harper’s Weekly, June 1869) © Artability Art & Collection

In 1845, Texas became the 28th state of the U.S. Early Chinese immigrants primarily came to Texas to work on railroad construction. In the second half of the 19th century, two waves of Chinese immigrants arrived. After the Civil War, labor demands for railroad building and southern agriculture surged. Following the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, experienced Chinese laborers were recruited to Texas.

In January 1870, the first group of 250 Chinese contract workers from California arrived in Texas to work for the Houston & Central Texas Railroad. A second wave arrived in 1881 to build the Southern Pacific Railroad. Despite their contributions, Chinese laborers often faced grueling work conditions and severe racial discrimination. Following the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, violence against Chinese people became common, and they were banned from marrying, working in certain jobs, or owning property. Immigration dropped sharply, and many Chinese workers left the U.S. It wasn't until 1917, with the wave of the Pershing’s Chinese—allies brought back by General Pershing from the U.S.-Mexico border conflict—that the Chinese population in Texas saw renewed growth.

Image 6. January 1870 news report of the first 250 Chinese laborers crossing the frozen Missouri River en route to Texas for railroad work (Harper’s Weekly, January 22, 1870) © Artability Art & Collection

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas has the third-largest Asian American population, with Chinese Americans forming the largest subgroup. Some families have lived in Texas for over 150 years, yet their stories remain little known. It wasn’t until 2009 that the Houston Asian American Archive (HAAA) at Rice University, supported by Dr Anne Chao, began systematically collecting Chinese immigrant histories—now with over 500 oral histories archived.

Image7. 1885 Massacre of the Chinese at Rock Springs, Wyoming Harper’s Weekly 09-25-1885  © Xu Yichuan Arts LLC

Following the 2018 digital exhibition "Pioneers from the East: Austin’s First Chinese Families" by the Austin Public Library, this will be the first major in-person exhibition at a mainstream cultural institution in Texas dedicated to 200 years of Chinese immigration history. The show will feature over 60 historical artifacts related to Chinese immigrants and is planned to tour several cities across Texas.

Through in-depth research and organization of Chinese American archival materials at the Austin History Center, the project traces the authentic life journeys of early Chinese immigrants. This involves historical investigations across both China and the United States and utilizes cultural relics, historical documents, oral histories, and documentaries to reconstruct real-life stories. These narratives include:

- The story of Chinese railroad worker Joe Lung,  

- Joe Sing and the Frances Moreno family, who suffered under the Chinese Exclusion Act,  

- The inspirational life of Inez Lung, the first Chinese female student at the University of Texas at Austin,  

- Rose Wu, who advocated for Chinese land rights,  

- The Wong family as part of the Pershing’s Chinese,  

- And the legendary life of Herlinda Wong Chew, a Chinese American Civil Right advocate and entrepreneur from El Paso.  

These individuals and their stories will be featured as part of a collective portrait of the Chinese American experience.

Image 8. March 10, 1937 – K. T. Chen, Rose Wu, and Chinese community members at a Texas Senate hearing ©Austin History Center

Visual Art 

Contemporary artists have created works reflecting on history and exploring themes of identity, resilience, and community consciousness, offering a modern perspective on the Chinese American immigrant experience.

From 2018 to 2021, photographer Philip Cheung used his camera to record the route of the Central Pacific Railroad, the western section of the First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States- 690 miles of track between Sacramento, California and Promontory, Utah.

Revisiting the history of the railroad by listening to contemporary landscapes, and focusing on the participation of Chinese workers, whose contributions made the first transcontinental railroad possible. The railroad was the most important infrastructure project of the American Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. It not only connected the east and the west, but also changed the physical and social landscape of the American West. The work is a vindication and tribute to the contributions of Chinese workers that have been forgotten from the history of American railways for 150 years. The exhibition will display this artwork closely related to Chinese history in Texas for the first time.

Image 9. The Central Pacific @Philip Cheung

Other featured works include:

- Entre/Exit, a new installation by Chinese artist Li Wei inspired by Chinese immigration history;  

- A video art collaboration by Zhan Xuhua, Luo Yao, and young composer He Tongzhou, based on Joe Lung’s family and the ancestral journey of Inez Lung—educator and missionary—back to Kaiping, China. The piece connects past and present through documentary research, contemporary dance, and music.

Youth Illustration Project  

Before the exhibition embarks on its three-year tour, Chinese American millennial students will be invited to create an illustrated book about Chinese immigration (currently in planning). Through these diverse formats, Roots Unveiled encourages the next generation of Chinese Americans to explore their history and culture through art. The exhibition aims to highlight the contributions of Chinese communities and demonstrate that Chinese Americans are an essential part of the country’s multicultural fabric. Using a multidimensional storytelling approach, it shares the personal stories and hardships of Chinese immigrants across history and deepens public understanding of their experiences. 

Expanding Impact

Roots Unveiled has already garnered interest from several major central libraries across Texas. In the coming years, the curators will conduct in-depth research into local Chinese immigrant histories in each touring city, ensuring that the exhibition features region-specific stories. Collaborations with local history centers, universities, Chinese communities, and artists—particularly Chinese American artists—will create a unique experience for each audience. Negotiations are also underway with cultural institutions in China to explore the potential for touring exhibitions, laying the groundwork for U.S.–China cultural and artistic exchange.

Roots Unveiled is more than an exhibition—it is a long-term public education initiative and a reflection on Chinese American history. It seeks to revive awareness of the Chinese community’s contributions to American society, promote mutual understanding, reduce prejudice, strengthen community bonds, and foster respect between people of diverse cultural backgrounds. By combining historical archives, visual art, installation works, and classical music, this immersive exhibition will inspire every visitor. We have received strong support and sponsorship from various art, culture, and history foundations and corporate partners. Our ongoing mission is to ensure that the stories of Chinese Americans are preserved and passed down for generations to come.