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VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos

Traqueros and the Building of the Southwest

Season 1 Episode 2 | 1m 48s

After the Civil War, goods were in high demand, especially in the West where towns and cities were springing up overnight. But major railroad infrastructure was needed to connect the wide-spanning country – and Mexican and Mexican American track workers known as “traqueros” were instrumental in bringing the railways to the Southwest, allowing for the rise of cities like Phoenix and Los Angeles.

Funding for American Historia is provided, in part, by PBS, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Anderson Family Charitable Fund, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, The WNET Group’s Chasing the Dream initiative, the Ford Foundation/JustFilms, and Seton J. Melvin.
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