More than a century after Chinese workers helped build a portion of the Transcontinental Railroad, their descendants are pushing for more than a token mention in history.

Members of the Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association are gathering in Utah this week to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the railroad’s completion.

Events include a ceremonial tapping of a spike Thursday in Ogden and a celebration Friday in Promontory Summit, where the final golden spike was hammered in on May 10, 1869.

Association president Michael Kwan says the milestone year has been an opportunity to educate the public about their ancestors and what they endured.

Historians estimate 20,000 Chinese immigrants accounted for 90% of the workforce on the Central Pacific portion of the railroad.