The Racial Railroad

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Revealing the train's legacy as a critical site of race in the United States, this work examines its enduring symbolism of American exceptionalism and ingenuity. For nearly two centuries, the train has represented national identity, manifest destiny, and imperial ambitions, remaining a prominent figure in literature, film, and music. The narrative highlights the train's central role in shaping racial identity and difference, as Julia H. Lee argues that it serves as a setting for stories of race due to its multifaceted experiences and meanings. The train functions as both an invocation and a repository for various social, historical, and political narratives. Lee explores the legacies of racialized labor and disenfranchisement, from the contributions of Chinese Americans in constructing the Transcontinental Railroad to the portrayals of Native Americans in advertising, as well as the underground railroad and Jim Crow segregation. The train emerges as a significant space through which American cultural works engage with racial subjectivity, community, and conflict. By examining the train through diverse lenses, the work tracks how racial formations and conflicts are shaped in complex and often contradictory ways by the environments in which they unfold.