Final answer:
The absence of Chinese laborers in "The Last Spike" photograph is due to the prevalent racism of the time, seeking to portray the achievement as predominantly white American. This omission is unfair as it erases the Chinese workers' significant roles and contributions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The photograph referred to as "The Last Spike" famously omits the presence of Chinese laborers despite their significant contribution to the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. The likely reasons for their absence in the photograph could be attributed to the pervasive racism and the desire to portray the achievement as a primarily white American endeavor.
At the time, Chinese immigrants faced significant discrimination, as evidenced by the brutal treatment, cultural stigmas like those depicted in the Harper's Weekly image, and legal actions like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which sought to prevent Chinese immigration and restrict the rights of those already in the United States.
This exclusion from such a historic photograph is not fair, as it purposefully erases the vital role that Chinese laborers played in the railroad's creation and in American progress more broadly. Their absence from the photograph undermines their achievements and sacrifices and contributes to an inaccurate historical record. This is despite resources like the Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum, which acknowledges and celebrates the contributions of Chinese workers but also condemns their mistreatment and exclusion.