The Pacific Asia Museum will present "Chinaman's Chance: Views of the Chinese-American Experience," an exhibition featuring artwork that examines the diverse Chinese-American experience from the days of the Transcontinental Railroad’s construction to today. The exhibition will be on display from March 6 to July 27.

The discovery of gold in California drew unprecedented numbers of Chinese immigrants. By 1865 about 50,000 Chinese had come to "Golden Mountain" to try their luck.

The majority of the Transcontinental Railroad’s east-bound track was built by Chinese. To conquer the treacherous terrain, workers were often suspended from the top of cliffs to plant explosives. It was from this dangerous task that the phrase "A Chinaman’s Chance in Hell" was coined. Later shorten to "Chinaman’s Chance," the phrase unfortunately defined many immigrants’ experiences.

The work of Amanda Ross-Ho, Zhi Lin and Arthur Ou is featured in the exhibit. Several of the artists will be incorporating Pacific Asia Museum collections into their work, and all draw their inspiration from the history encompassed in the museum’s exhibitions.

While the experience of being of Chinese heritage and living in America is unique to each individual, "Chinaman’s Chance: Views of the Chinese American Experience" will investigate the similarities and dissimilarities of these experiences.

The exhibition is sponsored by the Pasadena Art Alliance. Pacific Asia Museum is at 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. Admission is $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for students/seniors. For more information, call 626-449-2742 or visit their website at www.pacificasiamuseum.org.