Rieles y Raíces: Traqueros in Chicago and the Midwest
About the program
Rieles y Raíces (tracks and roots) explores the overlooked history of Mexican and Mexican American railroad workers, or traqueros, whose labor was essential to the growth of Chicago’s infrastructure. Recruited by railroad companies, many immigrants helped build the city’s industrial backbone, laying the groundwork for its architectural and urban development. This exhibition, through community-driven collections and archival research, examines how traqueros shaped not just the railways, but the communities that arose along them.