Traqueros: Mexican Railroad Workers in the United States, 1870-1930

— Vol. 6: of Al Filo: Mexican American Studies Series

Published: February, 2016  Pages: 256  Features: Map. Notes. Bib. Index.

Perhaps no other industrial technology changed the course of Mexican history in the United States—and Mexico—than did the coming of the railroads. Tens of thousands of Mexicans worked for the railroads in the United States, especially in the Southwest and Midwest. Construction crews soon became railroad workers proper, along with maintenance crews later. Extensive Mexican American settlements appeared throughout the lower and upper Midwest as the result of the railroad. The substantial Mexican American populations in these regions today are largely attributable to 19th- and 20th-century railroad work. Only agricultural work surpassed railroad work in terms of employment of Mexicans. more... about Traqueros: Mexican Railroad Workers in the United States, 1870-1930