FORGOTTEN WORKERS.

• Author: Slade, Stephanie

Tucked in a back corner of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., is a tiny case for curators to showcase "new perspectives" on topics that had previously gone overlooked. Through spring 2020, that space features a smattering of photographs and artifacts titled "Forgotten Workers: Chinese Migrants and the Building of the Transcontinental Railroad."

The display recognizes the throngs who left their country and helped enable America's westward expansion. While everyone worked under grueling conditions, placards note that Chinese laborers were paid...