MANITOWOC – On April 15, 1912, because the RMS Titanic sank within the icy waters of the North Atlantic, simply greater than 700 individuals survived.
Amongst these survivors had been six Chinese language seamen: Ah Lam, Chang Chip, Cheong Foo, Fang Lang (also referred to as Fong Wing Solar), Lee Bing and Ling Hee.
Their survival defied overwhelming odds, however their tales had been shortly buried beneath prejudice and xenophobia, in line with the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
Inside 24 hours of reaching New York, the lads had been expelled from america beneath the Chinese language Exclusion Act. For many years, their lives and experiences went unrecognized. That’s till writer and historian Steven Schwankert’s years of investigation — together with interviews with descendants and world archival analysis — led to the rediscovery of their forgotten legacy.
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Manitowoc’s Wisconsin Maritime Museum will welcome Schwankert for a particular presentation at 2 p.m. June 1 wherein he’ll characteristic his ebook, “The Six: The Untold Story of the Titanic’s Chinese language Survivors.” The occasion is free and open to the general public.
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In his presentation, Schwankert will delve into his analysis, which sheds mild on the story of the six Chinese language males who survived the notorious 1912 catastrophe.
Tom Fong, son of survivor Fang Lang and a Wisconsin resident, will even be part of Schwankert for the presentation, providing a private perspective on his father’s story and reflecting on the broader impression of this historical past on his household.
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Contact Brandon Reid at breid@gannett.com.
This text initially appeared on Manitowoc Herald Instances Reporter: Chinese language survivors of Titanic focus of Wisconsin Maritime Museum occasion