Wisconsin Maritime Museum program to highlight lost story of Chinese survivors of Titanic
MANITOWOC – On April 15, 1912, as the RMS Titanic sank in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, just more than 700 people survived.
Among those survivors were six Chinese seamen: Ah Lam, Chang Chip, Cheong Foo, Fang Lang (also known as Fong Wing Sun), Lee Bing and Ling Hee.
Their survival defied overwhelming odds, but their stories were quickly buried beneath prejudice and xenophobia, according to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
Within 24 hours of reaching New York, the men were expelled from the United States under the Chinese Exclusion Act. For decades, their lives and experiences went unrecognized. That is until author and historian Steven Schwankert's years of investigation — including interviews with descendants and global archival research — led to the rediscovery of their forgotten legacy.
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Manitowoc's Wisconsin Maritime Museum will welcome Schwankert for a special presentation at 2 p.m. June 1 in which he will feature his book, 'The Six: The Untold Story of the Titanic's Chinese Survivors.' The event is free and open to the public.
In his presentation, Schwankert will delve into his research, which sheds light on the story of the six Chinese men who survived the infamous 1912 disaster.
Tom Fong, son of survivor Fang Lang and a Wisconsin resident, will also join Schwankert for the presentation, offering a personal perspective on his father's story and reflecting on the broader impact of this history on his family.
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Here's what to know if you go:
What: 'The Six: The Untold Story of the Titanic's Chinese Survivors,' with author and historian Steven Schwankert and Tom Fong, Wisconsin resident and son of survivor Fang Lang
When: 2 p.m. June 1
Where: Wisconsin Maritime Museum, 75 Maritime Drive, Manitowoc
Admission and more information: Admission is free and open to the public. Call the museum at 920-684-0218 or go to wisconsinmaritime.org.
Contact Brandon Reid at breid@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Chinese survivors of Titanic focus of Wisconsin Maritime Museum event
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