Zoot Suit Riots Research Paper

Zoot Suit Riots Research Paper
I disagree with the statement declared by the Mayor of Los Angeles that the Zoot Suit Riots did not
spring from racism. I believe that racism was the main reason on why the riot occurred.

Racism
happens when one believes that his or her race is superior than the other. This can be seen when
Edward Duran Ayers, a spokesman for the L.A County Sheriff's Department declared that "the
Mexicans were descendants of blood–thirsty Aztecs." He also added that the Mexican way of
fighting is much more violent than that of Anglo–Saxon. In his words, "all he (mexican) knows and
feels is a desire to use a knife or some lethal weapon." (The Good War, p. 207) To add to that, the
newspaper La Opinion published that "the marines and soldiers ... Show more content on
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He also created the President's Committee on Fair Employment Practice to examine any violation of
the order. (The Good War, p. 200) In many of his speeches, President Roosevelt called the nation to
unite against the Axis. America went into the war to fight for democracy, the principle where all
citizens are entitled to have equal opportunity. (The Good War, p. 201) However, the racial realities
were very far from ideal. Although the president tried to unite the country by making and changing
some policies that will reduce racial discriminations, racism still occur in many parts of the country.
As described in an open letter to the president, the "Negro American citizens" were segregated in
their own army causing their morale to become extremely low. Some felt so bitter to the point of
mutiny. They were treated "so viciously" by their fellow Americans. Also, the Navy has excluded
African Americans from the V–1 program and forbid the women from the WAVES. (The Good War,
p. 201) The Japanese Americans were also treated harshly during the war upon the nation that
"persons of Japanese ancestry presented a clear and present thereat to American security." They
were sent to settlement center that was described as similar to a penitentiary. They were
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Zoot Suit Riots
The suit riots were a sequence of the many completely different racial bursts that occurred between
Mexican yanks and American servicemen in Los Angeles, California. These attacks developed
during the Los Angeles space throughout the first 1940's. Before all of the numerous American's
started returning to this area, while the Mexican American's have already formed their lives there.
"Zoot Suit Riots" take their name from the high–waisted wool trousers and baggy, long–tailed suit
coats then worn by several youths, however the violence was a lot of regarding race relations than
fashion.The zoot suits were impressed by the jazz music that was very hip among the youth of the
Latino youths referred to as "Pachucos." It wasn't long after that their attire earned them a signature
name as street thugs and juvenile delinquents. (History.com) ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Tensions then started to grow high between zoot–suiters and the white sailors and Marines that were
stationed in Los Angeles. The racially charged atmosphere finally led to a full–scale riots in early
June 1943. Newspapers were wanting to distract attention from the war and single out their
determined internal enemies, known as gangs. (History.com)
Newspaper articles written throughout the Nineteen Forties, about the adolescent's behavior and
language. One article within the Los Angeles Times Gregorian calendar, 1944 titled, "Youthful Gang
Secrets Exposed," sought–after to uncover the foreign underworld of adolescent language. The
article reported: "Gang members speak an odd non–standard speech unintelligible to the uninitiate."
Press reports like this burning mass psychosis regarding the American allegiance of Mexican youth
within the us throughout wartime

The Zoot Suit Riots: The struggle of Mexican American youths
Los Angeles is well known for being the center of fashion, media and entertainment, but also serves
as the home for many diverse populations: one of them being the Mexican Americans. Since their
arrival, the Mexican Americans has been the target of racism from the white men in the United
States. Mexican Repatriation resulted in the voluntary or involuntary migration of Mexicans during
1929–1937, in which 400–500,000 Mexicans left the United States and Mexican Americans were
forced to become "American" through Americanization. These events led to the accumulation of
tension between the two races, which then became apparent in the Sleep Lagoon Murder Trial of
1942 and exploded in the Zoot Suit Riots of 1943. The Zoot Suit Riots represented ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
"The Pachuco is a symbol not of the guilt of an oppressed Mexican minority, but of a cancerous
growth within the majority group which is gnawing at the vitals of democracy and American way of
life. The Pachuco and his feminine counterpart, the 'Cholitas,' are spawns of a neglectful society –
not the products of a humble minority people who are defenseless before their enforced humiliation"
(Daniels 206).
Wearing the zoot suits, the Pachucos represented their resistance against social expectations and
were able to create their own subculture.
The female Mexican American youths, Pachucas or Cholitas, were viewed completely different
from the male Pachucos. The Pachucas were very stylish and with their accessories worn, they were
viewed as auxiliaries within the Mexican American youths (Daniels 202). While the male Pachucos
wearing the zoot suits were viewed as threats to the society, the Pachucas were not viewed as
"enemies within the country."On the evening of June 3, 1943, the tension between the Pachucos and
the white men exploded in what is remembered as the Zoot Suit Riots. Eleven sailors got involved
into a fight with youths that were thought to be Mexican Americans, since they were wearing a zoot
suit. This incident was publicized and stimulated the resentment within the whites and the other
stationed sailors in Los Angeles. In the following days, the white sailors drove around the city of
Los Angeles, looking for Mexican Americans in zoot

Zoot Suit Riots Dbq
Following the events of Pearl Harbor, the integration of minority groups into the workforce proved
to cause tensions between the groups. Throughout the country, racial riots sparked and caused many
conflicts. Two of the most influential riots occurred in Detroit and Los Angeles. The causes of these
riots were due to the effects of wartime on the homefront and the racial discrimination that many
possessed. In Detroit, Michigan, there was an influx of African Americans from across the country,
resulting in a 24% increase in the population of blacks. Many stayed in the Sojourner Truth homes,
located in black–Polish neighborhoods. Source 2 says "when they arrived to move in, they were
greeted by white mobs who beat them and stoned their cars". Many cities, such as Detroit, confined
the minority groups to ghettos, generally spanning less than a five mile square. Along with this,
tensions began to run high as strikes were conducted throughout the city, opposing the treatment of
African Americans in the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
These riots involved American servicemen targeting the youth of minorities, especially those of
Mexican American communities. One article in the Los Angeles Times with the title "Zoot Suiters
Learn Lesson in Fights with Servicemen" posed that the individuals targeted in the riots learned a
great deal from the experience (source 8). Following the riots, the county jail was full of individuals
that were acquired for being involved in the riots. One account from a zoot–suiters perspective
states "its bad enough like it was before 'zoot suiters' fighting each other, but when the sailors of the
United States of America beat up twelve and thirteen year old kids of the same country just because
their Mexicans, you can imagine how brave they must be." The account also states that many of the
youth victims were hospitalized due to injuries they sustained during these riots (source

Joseph Tovares 'Zoot Suit Riots'
While America fought World War II in Europe, riots broke out in the streets of Los Angeles
targeting young Latinos. They strived for the same freedom enjoyed by whites, but were treated as
poorly as African Americans of the era. In effect, they tried to disassociate themselves from this
faction. Young Latino men referred to themselves as pachucos and sported oversize suits known as
zoot suits. In the film Zoot Suit Riots, Joseph Tovares remarkably portrayed the difficult lives of
Mexican Americans in the 1940s. Zoot Suit Riots is a powerful film that explores the complicated
racial tensions, as well as the changing social and political scene leading up to the riots in the streets
of Los Angeles in the summer of 1943. White Americans, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
These "increases in arrests resulted more from changes in the law and in police practices than from
changes in Mexican American behavior. Specifically, new immigration and draft laws for adults and
curfew ordinances for juveniles, created new classes of laws that Mexican Americans violated,
increasing the arrest statistics" (Escobar, 1996). The LAPD also employed selective enforcement in
barrios than in white sections like the curfew ordinance as an example. This evidence strongly
supports Escobar's argument that the LAPD was more inclined towards the harsh treatment of
Mexican Americans. Escobar focuses more on this than Tovares did throughout the film. While
Tovares and Escobar both focus on the discrimination zoot suiters felt, Thomas Guglielmo shifts his
focus to Mexican American racism was not only in Los Angeles but also in Texas in his historical
article, Fighting for Caucasian Rights. Guglielmo argues that Mexican Americans who were born in
the United States showed that they only cared about the United States but needed to be looked at
again. They seemed active, focusing on being American, distant from Mexico but really these
Mexican American's due to the Good Neighbor policy still identified themselves with Mexico.
Compared to Tovares, Guglielmo looks at American battles in Texas and legislative matter
compared to the Los Angeles zoot suit riots. Guglielmo goes against Tovares perspective and

Who Is The Sleepy Lagoon On The Zoot Suit Riots In Film
We see examples of how he zoot suit riots were in films like American Me, we see Santana's parents
Pedro and Esperanza not only as proud Zoot Suite's, but we also catch a glimpse of just how terrible
the zoot suit riots were, we witness his father; along with many others being violently beaten and his
mother being raped. In the same manner Eduardo Obregon Pagan, also discusses another similar
story, which is the Sleepy Lagoon case in his book, Murder at the Sleepy Lagoon: Zoot Suits, Race,
Riot in Wartime L.A. Pagan in which he argues that the case along with the riots resulted from a
longtime and explosive combination of racial and social tensions. The way that Pagan recreated the
murder victim's lives, he argues that the convictions or the riots did not come out as a result ... Show
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While considering Pagan's opinion on the zoot suit riots and forming my own assumption, I
compare the film American Me once again and come to the conclusion that the Zoot Suit riots and
all the things Santana's parents went through was foreshadowing the future struggles for Santana
and the rest of the Montoya family. American Me focused on a complicated development of a young
Chicano male and how growing up in the 'hood' affected his life. The film beings with the main
character, Montoya Santana, he is incarcerated in prison where he realized he was two different
people, one of him cares, he is compassionate, but the other one of him is a killer, and does not
show weakness of any kind, and that specific part of him, he learned about himself in the streets.
Although there are many hardships and social experiences that he's had, we see that he becomes
what we speculate to be a cold

Racial Tension And Civil Unrest
As diverse as the city of Los Angeles is, it has a history of racial tension and civil unrest. From
1910, the start of the Mexican Revolution and World War I when President Theodore Roosevelt
instituted the "brown scare" (Coerver, 2001), to 1913, when the California Alien Land Act
prohibited Japanese immigrants and citizens of Japanese descent from owning land in California, to
1934, when 3000 Chinese immigrants were displaced to make way for Union Station, to 1942, when
110,000 Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps, Los Angeles has historically been
the center of racial controversy and tension ("Year by Year," 1999). In 1943, Los Angeles was also
full of young African Americans and Mexican Americans trying to protest the racism in the
American culture by expressing themselves with their own music, clothing, culture, and style
(Cosgrove, 1985). By the time of the Sleepy Lagoon murder in 1942, the stage had been set for the
Zoot Suit Riots that occurred in June 1943. Although the riots only lasted ten days, the ramifications
ranged from cultural repression on the part of many Mexican American families, to political
activism on the part of others, and the beginning of reform within the Los Angeles Police
Department.
In 1910, Mexico entered into a revolution; shortly thereafter the United States entered World War I.
About this time President Theodore Roosevelt started talking about a "brown scare"; profiling
Mexican Americans as possible "trouble makers"

Zoot Suit Riots Essay
Zoot suits, associated with the Mexican race, consisted of a long jacket that reached almost to the
knees, pants with a "tight stuff cuff", a "wide, flat hat, and Dutch–toe shoes" (Berger 193). These
zoot suits were worn by the Mexican youth who were accused of murder on August 2, 1942. People
claimed that Jose Diaz was murdered by a gang that had broken up a party at Sleepy Lagoon ranch
located close to Los Angeles. However, even though the lower court did convict them of murder,
two years later the district court of appeals took that decision back by stating that there was not
enough good evidence and that most of that decision was made based on prejudice issues. This
incident became known as the "Sleepy Lagoon Affair" and was made ... Show more content on
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Obviously, to the Mexican race, these riots and beatings are extremely unfair and are taking
measures to stop them.
After fellow service men were attacked, robbed, and beaten, marines and soldiers would ride the
streets in big groups looking for any Mexican, especially wearing a zoot suit. They would usually
take this Mexican and strip him of his pants and brutally beat him. To the servicemen, this was their
way of retaliation and believe that the Mexicans deserve it. When watching these riots, civilians on
the street would cheer on the servicemen while police just usually stood back and watched before
arresting the beaten victims. Every time a soldier was attacked by a zoot suit gang, the servicemen
were already planning a next huge riot. When these riots and attacks were getting out of hand on
both sides, the Commanders and Generals stated that they would take the necessary measures to try
and prevent these outbreaks between servicemen and Mexicans and told the army that partaking in
these types of activities reflected on the individual and the army by wearing the uniform while
participating in the riots and that the servicemen should seriously consider the consequences
(Document 3 196). The Commanders say that the servicemen partake in riots for

Representation Of Male Chicano Identity In 'Zoot Suit'
Explore the representation of male Chicano identity as seen in Zoot Suit.
'Zoot Suit,' (1981) is an adaptation to film of the Broadway show by Chicano writer/director Luis
Valdez, and the film helped cement Valdez place as one of, if not the most important figureheads
within Chicano film. The picture depicts whilst also questioning media documentation of the real
life 'Sleepy Lagoon' trial of young male Mexican Americans born out of the 'Zoot Suit' riots in 1942.
This seminal period of Mexican American history is often overlooked and it is a deliberate choice
by Valdez as he opts to socially comment on the injustice faced at the time when Chicano culture
was in its beginnings, symbolised by the rebellious fashion statement ... Show more content on
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Chicano men are presented as dominant, and with an overwhelming desire to be accepted, to fit in –
(signified with the Anglo origins within the zoot suit.) Yet simultaneously the Chicanos are
presented as trying to forge their own identity and make their own mark within society. They are
presented as brothers, fathers and friends, the fact they were acquitted of their supposed crimes
proves the type of people these Chicano men were – young, and trying to find their place in a
society which rejects them for being themselves – 'cultural identity is a matter of becoming as well
as being. It belongs to the future as much to the past.' Hall (1989:

Zoot Suit Analysis
Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez explains the racially charged trial of Sleepy Lagoon in 1942 in which the
court of California charges a group of Chicanos with the murder of another Mexican–American
man. For Chicanos, 1940 was an era of discrimination so the trials were unfairly biased against
them. To fight against this discrimination, many Chicanos wore an exaggerated suit, referred to as a
zoot suit, that included a long, loose jacket with padded shoulders and high waisted trousers. This
choice of wardrobe earned the Chicanos a name of "zoot suiters". Ethnic identity is an important
role in this play because the men on trial were accused of murder for their cultural background,
choice of clothing and biased media influence rather than evidence.
Ethnic identity is the way in which one regards himself and also how he is perceived by others.
Judgments of another person begins at the first glance. Hairstyle, clothing, shoes and cleanliness are
all tied together in the representation of oneself. The Zoot Suit was a choice of fashion by the
Chicanos because it represented rebellion against both American and Mexican cultures. These suits
were prohibited during the duration of World War II as they used too much cloth, making it an easy
and fashionable way to show their rebellion. While on trial, the Chicanos were denied access to
clean clothes and haircuts, which negatively altered the way the judge and jury saw the men. The
judge states, "The zoot haircuts will be retained throughout

Dignity In The Power Of The Zoot, By Luis Alvarez
The Power of the Zoot by Luis Alvarez examines the zoot culture within Los Angeles and New
York. Alvarez argues that underrepresented groups participated in the zoot culture to acquire
"dignity" during the Second World War (Alvarez, 10). The first segment depicts the increasing
economic opportunity for underrepresented groups and their unceasing experience with
unemployment or discrimination. Additionally, the American public attempted to restrain the youth
by associating the zoot culture with nefarious qualities. Mexican Americans, African Americans,
and Asian Americans utilized contemporary fashion, language, and public venues to assert their
identities. Moreover, those who participated in the zoot culture challenged the traditional archetype
of masculinity and "whiteness (Alvarez, 104)." Lastly, Alvarez analyzes the prominent occurrence in
Los Angeles and several riots throughout ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
His evaluation of the zoot culture and the riots across the United States is largely deduced from
primary sources. This includes If He Hollers Let Him Go by Chester Himes, oral interviews,
photographs, and documentation on the Mexican American experience. Furthermore, Alvarez
incorporates historian analysis, excerpts of lyrics, and demographics from the United States Bureau
of the Census. More importantly, his interpretation of the zoot culture conveys the significance of
dignity and identity within Los Angeles and New York. American society associated delinquent
behavior to zoot culture and several underrepresented groups. These underrepresented groups
continued to experience discrimination through employment and their daily lives (Alvarez, 10).
Consequently, Mexican Americans or African Americans sought acknowledgement within a
constructed culture or group. The zoot culture provided recognition, a venue for integrated
gatherings, trends for consumption, and the ability to confront conventional social

Zoot Suitors Stereotypes
Zoot Suitors, the criminals or the good guys? Less than a century ago, the people of Los Angeles
used to speak Spanish because it used to belong to Mexico. To think that before the year of 1942
that Los Angeles, with its Hollywood Walk of Fame and Broadway theatres, used to be a place
where Mexican Americans could not even freely express themselves through their fashion is
appalling. Also, to think that Los Angeles was looked at as the "City of Angels," considering the
stigma of the Zoot Suitors, is quite ironic. Therefore, at this time for Los Angeles, the local threat
everyone feared or had disdain for were young male Latinos that were specifically dressed in zoot
suits. At first, it was hard for the community to grasp what exactly was there vendetta for rebelling;
some even concluded that they were "rebellious kids that were being manipulated by enemy agents."
As I sat and watched the film it was difficult to believe that Latinos were viewed as outcasts when
indeed it was their ancestors who first built and structured Los Angeles. However, it was then
vividly clear to me that after years of discrimination, it was safer for them to remain introverted in
their own communities and not venture off. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It wasn't even remotely safe for sailors to walk through the neighborhoods of the Latinos; if they did
there was bound to be a fight that would occur. In the film, a sailor named Reno Sanetti described
that at the navy base they would sow thirteen pennies onto their neckerchief, and that was their
weapon to protect them when they were travelling home. To the local service I believe they saw the
zoot suitors as dangerous foreigners and I believe this view of them aided in the zoot suit riot. The
young male Latino community did something different and unique, and because it went against the
"norm," they were considered rebels and not welcomed by sailors and later

Zoot Suit Riots Case Study
The trial, which ended on January 13, 1943, with all the defendants being found guilty. The nine
who were convicted of greater charges were sent to San Quentin prison, while the remaining youths
were kept in the Los Angeles County jail. During the the trial there were activists, chief among them
was the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee, who worked for the benefit of the young men charged
and were labelled as communists and un–American by Jack Tenney's Joint Fact–Finding Committee
on Un–American Activities. The activists charged that the boys were not given afforded due process
and that the judge in the case, Charles Fricke, displayed prejudice against the boys in his rulings.
The young ladies who were with the boys on the night José Díaz was found dying, did not fare any
better than their male counterparts. Because of their refusal to cooperate with the authorities, they
became wards of the state and were sent to the notorious Ventura School for Girls, a women's
reformatory, though they were never given a trial. Within months of the convictions, Los Angeles ...
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I also feel that the boys who were arrested for the murder of José Díaz did not get a fair trial and that
the judge assigned to the case should have been taken off the bench. But this was Los Angeles in the
1940s. Japanese–Americans had been rounded up and confined to camps, and in their absence, the
white residents of L.A. pointed to the highly visible Zoot Suiters as the source of trouble and as
examples of undesirable, rebellious youths. Add to this the presence of a multitude of young
servicemen, who were not only made ready by their stint in boot camp to fight the "Japs" and
"Huns" for their country and the (white) American way, but who were also ignorant of the Mexican–
American culture that existed in California and how to interact with

Draped Suits versus Pressed Uniforms Race is an ongoing discussion that has been a prominent
topic since the beginning of the United States of America. It is difficult to understand the issues that
rise from a factor that people cannot control like their color of their skin or the family ties with
religion. Being open and understanding can be difficult if one is not willing to learn and be open
towards new ideas that are different. Some of these issues were raised during the 1940's when the
world was at the start of a war. People were uncertain of their future and held themselves apart from
the rest of their community because they were scared for the possibilities of something happening to
their way of living. The Sleepy Lagoon Trial ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
These kids were found fighting near the Sleeping Lagoon ,which was a popular hangout spot since
Mexicans were not allowed in public pools, because these kids were seen fighting the Los Angeles
Police Department believed that these kids killed Jose Diaz. The police placed their efforts on
arresting those kids that were affiliated with the fights that happened the night before Diaz was
murdered thus dwindling down to 22 kids from the 38th Street gang being prosecuted for the death
of Jose Diaz(Baeder) . This eventually led to court case The People v. Zammora which was the
biased trial with no evidence and the misrepresentation of defendants within the court of law (Pagan
80). This trial resulted to the false accusations of 17 innocent kids that were of Mexican descent to
got to jail for murder. All of these boys went through the appeal process because of the lack of
evidence put against them, speculation, and not being able to communicate with defense attorneys.
They went through an unfair trial based on the color of their skin and the social stigmas of that time
period that helped further the negative looks of Mexicans during the trial. This was important to
bring up because it clearly exemplified the racist views of the police and the uncertainty of the
people and their understanding of different culture of

Historical Analysis Of The Zoot Suit, By Luiz Valdez
Zoot Suit was written by Luiz Valdez and published in 1978. The story is based on the Sleepy
Lagoon murder trials of the 1940s and follows protagonist Henry Reyna. This play deals with the
intercultural conflicts between Henry's generation and his parent's, as well as those between
Mexican–Americans and white Americans. Mexican and American culture is effortlessly blended to
show the transcultural influences on Henry and his group of friends. In this historical analysis, I will
not only be looking at what historical events influenced this play and the author, but how this play
uses those historical influences to showcase the battle of cultural expression in 1940s Los Angeles.
Los Angeles was undergoing severe demographic changes in the early 1940's. Mexican refugees
were escaping the Mexican Revolution, farmers were fleeing the Dust bowl, and American
servicemen rushed to Los Angeles because of World War II ("People & Events"). The economy was
booming from the war as American production increased and the youth was appreciating jazz
culture and began wearing zoot suits, just like in the play. Because of the Sleepy Lagoon murders,
the zoot suit was associated with Mexican violence. Eventually, fights escalated between the
rebelling Mexican–American youth and Marines because the racial tensions. This led to the Zoot
Suit Riots of 1943 that left hundreds injured. As stated by the citizens committee investigating the
riots, racism was the central cause of the riots ("People &

Based on the infamous 1942 "Sleepy Lagoon" murder mystery and the resulting "Zoot Suit Riots" in
Los Angeles , playwright Luis Valdez weaves fact and fiction to depict the fate of 22 young
Mexican Americans brought to trial for a murder they did not commit.
"Zoot Suit" brings together unforgettable characters such as the irreverent El Pachuco and the
charismatic Henry Reyna, an unsuspecting gang leader who finds himself caught in the middle of
the racially turbulent events that rocked Los Angeles during the early 1940s.
Valdez says this production exemplifies the evolution of American society.
"The essence about the American experience is about cultural fusion," Valdez says. "'Zoot Suit' has
influences that were brought on during the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"We made masks for our costumes out of paper mache; and I got a monkey mask made from my
lunch bag. I also got a tail and I remember our costumes were really nice, made with nice material. I
was so excited."
Valdez never got to perform in his school play because the week before the play, his family, who
were farm workers, were evicted from their home and had to move.
"They play went on without me," he says. "I never got to act and I was very disappointed. That
event created this hole in me; and I think from then on I've been trying to fill it through my work."
Valdez's experience in a farm worker family provided much encouragement and drive when he
founded El Teatro Campesino. In 1965, Valdez left the San Francisco Mime Troupe to join Cesar
Chavez in organizing farmworkers in Delano, Calif. Valdez organized the workers into El Teatro
Campesino (The Farmworkers Theater) in an effort to popularize and raise funds for the grape
boycott and farmworker strike.
In 1968, El Teatro Campesino left the fields in a conscious effort to create a theater that reflected the
greater Chicano experience. A year later, El Teatro Campesino garnered national attention with an
Off–Broadway Obie Award and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award in 1969 and 1972. After
touring the international theatre circuit with critical

Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez Essay
"Zoot Suit" by Luis Valdez
Based on the infamous 1942 "Sleepy Lagoon" murder mystery and the resulting "Zoot Suit Riots" in
Los Angeles , playwright Luis Valdez weaves fact and fiction to depict the fate of 22 young
Mexican Americans brought to trial for a murder they did not commit.
"Zoot Suit" brings together unforgettable characters such as the irreverent El Pachuco and the
charismatic Henry Reyna, an unsuspecting gang leader who finds himself caught in the middle of
the racially turbulent events that rocked Los Angeles during the early 1940s.
Valdez says this production exemplifies the evolution of American society.
"The essence about the American experience is about cultural fusion," Valdez says. "'Zoot Suit' has
influences ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"It's very gratifying to get the immediate reaction from the audience," he says. "Many young
playwrights tend to want to move toward making movies, mainly because of the potential to reach a
world–wide audience. However, you can't see your viewers' reactions."
At the age of 6, Valdez got his first taste of theater when he was cast to play a monkey for his
school's production of "Christmas in the Jungle."
"I use to bring my lunch in a paper bag and I remember when we were getting ready to prepare for
the play, my teacher took my bag, ripped it up and used it to make papier mache," he recalls. "We
made masks for our costumes out of paper mache; and I got a monkey mask made from my lunch
bag. I also got a tail and I remember our costumes were really nice, made with nice material. I was
so excited."
Valdez never got to perform in his school play because the week before the play, his family, who
were farm workers, were evicted from their home and had to move.
"They play went on without me," he says. "I never got to act and I was very disappointed. That
event created this hole in me; and I think from then on I've been trying to fill it through my work."
Valdez's experience in a farm worker family provided much encouragement and drive when he
founded El Teatro Campesino. In 1965, Valdez left the San Francisco Mime Troupe to join Cesar
Chavez in organizing farmworkers in Delano, Calif. Valdez

Mexican Americans During The World War II
Scores of Latino men went off to war by the hundreds of thousands fighting in every major battle in
both the European and Pacific theatres. More Mexican Americans serving in combat divisions than
any other ethnic group and a high percentage volunteered for the more hazardous duties such as the
paratroopers and Marines (Meier & Ribera). Mexican Americans that served gained a recognition
that was not possible in civilian life, and through the military, promotion was based off of individual
merit. This developed a newfound self–esteem and confidence that would not be wrestled away.
They would come home with pride and a feeling of being more 'American ' than ever before. These
sentiments leveled out the playing field in the minds of many ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Despite the war efforts by many Mexican Americans in both fronts of the war, brutal discrimination
was still rampant even in the very neighborhoods (barrios) that they called home. The Sleepy
Lagoon Case, dubbed as such by the LA press, was an example of racial tension brought to light. In
the heat of August 1942 gang member Jose Diaz was found unconscious near a swimming hole
named the Sleepy Lagoon where many young Latinos and gang members would go to swim as they
were not permitted to frequent Anglo only natatoriums. Diaz who never regained consciousness had
apparently suffered a skull fracture, but no murder weapon or proof of murder was ever found. In
the face of these facts, authorities blamed twenty–four youths, only one of which was Anglo. Citing
Mexican American 'lawlessness and mischievousness ' as proof enough that they were to be at fault.
The notoriously corrupt Los Angeles Police Department charged the twenty–four who were
involved in a gang clash earlier in the day with murder. It was no secret that Judge Charles Fricke
was blatantly racist and he repeatedly allowed prosecutors to stereotype the defendants. He also
refused to allow the defendants change of clothes or haircuts so as to have them resemble in the
courtroom how he viewed Mexican Americans: as criminals and hooligans, because of the belief
'only hoodlums wore zoot suits '. In January 1943, the jury without any solid evidence found

Analysis Of The Zoot Suit Riots
What is the purpose of music in society? Foremost, in layman terms, music is just sounds. However,
individuals then use these sounds as a medium in order to spread certain ideas and emotions across
society. Naturally over time different types of music become associated with different communities;
thus, this identification creates an overgeneralized interpretation of who these communities are and
what they stand for. One prime example is the stereotype that jazz and swing was the music of the
African Americans in 20th century Los Angeles. Even though it may be true, the stereotype does not
give an answer as to why or how jazz and swing became to be known as "black music". In order to
answer these questions, it is imperative to know what conditions ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
As to the origins of the trend, Cab Calloway was said to have popularized the zoot suit and many
other performers soon followed. According to Daniels (2002), performers who wore the zoot suit
inspired many Mexican Americans and black youths to favor the style and also embrace racial pride
and criticize white racism. To many, the zoot suit was a way to project their individuality while also
conforming to the social trends. Many Mexican American youths saw zoot suits as a way to "grow
up" and differentiate themselves from children. Another reason that may have explained the sudden
trend is that many minorities saw the zoot suits as a way to combat repression by society and rebel
against social norms that are assigned to

LA Zoot Suit Riots
June 1943 this is the date that the LA Zoot Suit Riots occurred and it's possibly known as one of the
biggest historical events that happened in Los Angeles. In short The LA Zoot Suit Riots were 200
estimated of American Sailors beating up anybody who wore a zoot suit, but they were mainly
targeting "Pachucos." Pachucos were basically Chicanos who acted like street thugs, and when
Chicanos and other minorities had gotten beaten up by the sailors this has caused an uproar to
Chicanos mainly because it was discrimination towards them because of their color and style of
clothing. This event occurred because at the time Zoot Suits had become widely popular with white
people, but as time went on, other minorities started to like the Zoot Suits also this has included
Pachucos as it fits their clothing style. The outcome of this event had influenced Latino Civil rights
movement and Mexican–American Communities to fight for their rights and that is why the
significance of this event is minorities are being overlooked by whites of how they all seem street
thugs and criminals judging by their clothes and color even though not all minorities were like that.
A first primary example as to how chickens were overlooked during the LA Zoot Suit Riots was
how policemen turned a blind eye to the sailors. The responsibility of a police officer is to help
citizens no matter of their color and stop the criminal's actions. Although in this case the policeman
didn't help the citizens that they

Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles Essay
Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles
Outline
Topic: The Zoot Suit Riots of 1943: What caused them, what happened, and what were the effects?
Introduction
Causes for the riots in 1943
History of racism
Stylish dress seen as un–American during wartime.
Stage set for riots
Sleepy Lagoon murder case and the Zoot Suit riots
Effects of riots
Cultural repression
Political activism in Mexican American community
Series of reforms in the Los Angeles Police Department
Causes
Mexican Revolution, World War I, "brown scare".
Mexican Americans depicted as security risk
Formation of racist policies and procedures
Bias in criminal justice system.
Academic theories of criminal behavior
Media sensationalized violence in barrio
What happened ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In fact, an "expert" from the L.A. Sheriff's Department who testified at the Sleepy Lagoon trial is
quoted as saying:
Let us view it from the biological basis. . . Total disregard for human life has always been universal
throughout the Americas in the human population. And this Mexican element feels a desire to kill or
at least to draw blood (Tobar, 1997). On top of the racism faced in the courtroom was the media bias
against the Mexican American population. In the process of covering events in the city, the then
Hearst–owned papers did a series of articles on the pachuco gangs, depicting Mexican American
neighborhoods as being fraught with violence, places of raping and pillaging (Tobar, 1997). This
was the atmosphere of the city at the time of the Sleepy Lagoon murder in 1942, when the body of
Jose Diaz was found at a common swimming hole after a party. Because of the public outrage over
pachuco gangs, which was instigated by the media, the sheriff's department went on a sweep of the
city's barrios, rounding up and arresting over 600 young men in connection to the Sleepy Lagoon

case. Eventually 24 men were indicted for murder, and 12 were convicted (Tobar, 1997). During the
trial in early 1943, the defendants were forced to stay within a "prisoners' box" and not

The Identity Of The Zoot Suit Riots
Introduction
"...About eight sailors got me outside of the theater and they started beating me up. It happened so
fast, I passed out. I woke up with a cracked rib, a broken nose, black and blue all over. I was really
beat."(Alvarez, 2006, p.155) During the 1940s, the public had generated stereotypes of the Pachucos
and zoot suits, which were eventually transferred to all Mexican Americans. Many young men like
Vicente Morales were attacked, humiliated, and stripped from their fashionable clothes by
servicemen. However, to what extent did the fashionable expression of the zooters and the culture of
the Pachucos influence the Zoot Suit Riots?
An important factor, which contributed to the Zoot Suit Riots, was the influence of the media.
Newspapers and propaganda began to detriment the appearance of Pachucos and zoot suits. This
dynamic added to the strong anti–Mexican sentiment, and led to the spread of hysteria during the
war. In addition, the encouragement from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), as well as
the presence of the servicemen in Los Angeles immediately led to the riots. Although all these
factors contributed to the riots, they all fail to address the important underlying psychological
stressors, which caused tension against the Pachucos' style. Therefore, I claim that that the Girardian
persecution dynamic, based on lack of difference between the Pachucos and the patriotic Americans,
contributed mainly to the riots.
In this paper, I will first introduce the

How Does Henry Reyna Symbolize In The Zoot Suit
In Luis Valdez's "Zoot Suits", the character El Pachuco symbolizes a rebellious culture that defies
society. El Pachuco stands as Henry Reyna's alter ego. When Henry Reyna is in a dispute with his
moral decisions, he either listens to El Pachuco's strong character or goes with his moral instincts.
Like Henry Reyna the Pachuco lifestyle was the way of living for many teens in the 40s. The
Pachuco life was cool and hip, teenagers talked with a slang that to society was deemed wrong.
Their zoot suit was their individual symbol, a Pachuco would be recognized instantly just by their
high waist baggy pants that were tighten in the bottom as well as for their long jackets. The zoot
suits were popular among teens all over the U.S. from coast to coast. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
But not a lot of justice was brought to many zoot suitors, since many of them ended up in jail. The
weak link between justice and pachucos is evident In Valdez's play as he utilizes the El Pachuco
character to show the hatred and mistrust of the justice system. El pachuco doesn't believe that
justice will be served to Henry, because he's Mexican and he's being tried for murder. After henry
gets sentenced, he still has hope on winning an appeal since his trial was noticeably unfair. But El
pachuco quickly denounces that idea telling henry "not to expect justice when it isn't there, no court
in the land's going to set you free. Learn to protect your love ones by binding them in hate, ese!"
(Valdez, 64). El pachuco is telling Henry to show hate towards society because that's the only way
he can protect himself and everyone else. Henry quickly refutes him because he believes there is
justice out there. Sadly that way El pachuco felt was how many pachucos felt in the

The Zoot Suit Riots were a string of violent confrontations that occurred between 1942 through
1943/4, between Mexican–Americans living in the Chavez Ravine area of Los Angeles and the
naval servicemen stationed at the Naval Armory before heading off to war. These incidents took
their name from the style of clothing called the Zoot Suit that the Mexican–American and other
minority youths sported. The Zoot Suit was adopted from African–Americans (popularized by
musicians such as Cab Calloway) from the Jazz Age, and eventually turned into a symbol for some
Mexican–American youths of their transition from marginalized, segregated barrio–yokel into a
savvy, cool, and trendy hipster. These young men wore the clothing, patronized jazz clubs, and even
spoke the lingo of the Jazz age to one another instead of the Spanish spoken in their homes. In the
racially charged atmosphere of Los Angeles in the 1940s, the kids who wore Zoot Suits came to be
identified as trouble–makers of "pachucos" (punks), by the authorities, Anglo members of the
community, and some of the elders in their own communities. The Zoot Suit was wide in the legs,
narrow at the ankles, high–waisted, and worn with a coat was broad and padded at the shoulders and
long in length. The wearing of Zoot Suits were also seen as unpatriotic because of the perceived
waste of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
With the coming of thousands of servicemen in the area, particularly the navy personnel attached
the Naval Armory, tensions started to build between the two communities of youths, the young
Chicanos and

Analysis Of Zoot Suit By Luis Condez
Analytical Essay: Zoot Suit
The play "Zoot Suit" by Luis Valdez has symbolic significance for Mexican Americans talking
about riots during World War II. The Sleepy Lagoon murder was one step in the fight for the rights
and respect of Mexican Americans share that they are all equal rather than being looked up and
down from their appearances. This riot involved young servicemen and civilians but also thousands
of men and women who clashed in the streets of the city with young Mexican Americans who wore
the style of "Zoot Suit" to represent their cultural ethics. Luis Valdez owes it to himself, family, and
friends, and also his community to be the best version of strength and positivity, no matter the
circumstances we face inequality, race, and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
On the day of the Sleepy Lagoon trial, a bailiff purposely pronounces the name by reading the sheet
of paper wrong, " The people of the State of California versus Henry Reyna, Ismael Torres, Thomas
Roberts, Jose Castro and eighteen others... pa–choo–cos" (Valdez, 52). The bailiff shows no respect
for the Chicano community. Imagine your name being called wrong, that is a big embarrassment to
the Chicano community. The gang should not face discrimination because of their names or
ethnicity. No one should be treated differently, we should be equal no matter what race we are.
Another evidence Valdez explains is, "The zoot haircuts will be retained throughout the trial for
purposes of identification of defendants by witnesses" (Valdez, 53). Valdez shows that getting a
haircut will make them different in order to identify the Chicano community. This evidence shows a
lot of racism because of their appearance in their trial. Also, identity does not matter based on your
look. The jury is biased for judging on how the groups look. The bailiffs should just let them be who
they are rather than changing themselves and becoming different people. We should not be
discriminated by the way we look, who we are, and what color we are. We should all be treated the
same regards what color we

Zoot Suit Riots Summary
People tend to overlook the geographical location of Figueroa Boulevard and plainly assume
residents of the area were working–class Mexican American without realizing that there are three
distinct neighborhoods on this very street. In his work, "Los Angeles Geopolitics and the Zoot Suit
Riots, 1943," Eduardo Obregon Pagan notes the three neighborhoods along Figueroa Boulevard "the
farther south in traveled in downtown area, the affluence of the neighborhoods grew in proportion to
the whiteness of the residents."5 This appears to be true since the neighborhood appeared to become
more modern as one move down from Figueroa Boulevard. The residents of Chavez Ravine were
native to the United States with Mexican origin with some immigrants from Central Europe and
Italy. The neighborhood is considered to be old–fashioned since it was ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This style of "zoot–suit" is often linked with Mexican American because of the infamous riot took
place in downtown Los Angles, along Figueroa Boulevard. But not of people realize zoot suit was
actually associated with youth African American in the 1940s and provided several "racial
connotations as the preferred choice of hip black men and entertainers." 4 Moreover, the word
"zoot" seems to imply a style of dress and music that rebellious against the society's standard to
serve as a political statement. During the time of the riots, America was having a cotton shortage,
but yet these suits were baggy with excessive use of cotton. The outfit itself was part of a subculture
create by the youth minorities as their way of rebelling against the oppressed American's
mainstream culture. In this subculture, minority, mostly Mexican American, can behave as freely as
they want. They can wear their eccentric clothing, listen to certain type of music, and communicate
in their own set of

Zoot Suit Riots Summary
In the United States, and especially in border states such as California, Mexican immigrants and
Mexican–Americans have had to live with constant racism and discrimination throughout the better
part of the twentieth century. Finally, after years of trying to assimilate and live up to the
"American" standard, tempers finally reached their boiling point. The accumulation of pent up
tension over the years between the Anglo and Mexican communities reached its limit. The end result
was the Zoot Suit Riots. There are several important factors to take into consideration for the cause
of the riots. It is important to understand what Zoot Suits symbolized for the youths who expressed
themselves through it, the events leading up to the riots, and how ultimately, the relationship
between the Anglo and Mexican and Mexican–American communities changed, tensions rose, after
the riots occurred. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to the author of The Zoot–Suit and Style Warfare, Stuart Cosgrove, the zoot suit style
may have originated in African–American neighborhoods, like Harlem, in New York City. Cosgrove
points out, that first the style was a way for African–American youth to show how they were not to
be seen as "less than." The style is described as extravagant, it is a suit that is normally a bit baggy
on the body, but dressier than what young people, mostly young men, were expected to wear on a
daily basis. Although the style was meant to serve as an empowering statement for African–
American youth, for Chicano youth, the style seemed to signify gang activity to the Anglo
community. This already shows how tensions between the two communities were close to erupting
even before the riots. There was major distrust and suspicion from Anglos towards the Chicano
community simply because they felt their style was different and not what "patriotic" Americans
should

Zoot Suit Riots Dbq Analysis
During World War II, Latinos in American neighborhoods were subject to inequality, prejudice, and
exploitation even though they sacrificed so much for the country. During World War II, East Los
Angeles was going through the racial tensions between Anglo sailors, marines and resident Latinos
called the Zoot Suit Riots. In document N, it shows a set of photos taken during these Zoot Suit
Riots and it shows several teenage boys being stripped of their clothes by the police. It also shows
many Anglo sailors with bats and sticks in which they used to attack anyone who was wearing a
zoot suit. The tension was all caused because Many sailors and marines would pass through Latino
communities where confrontations between them and Latinos wearing Zoot ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Many of the Latinos that were the targets were young teens trying to find a way to express
themselves, and because of the actions of these Anglo Sailors and police, they got that freedom
taken away from them. Therefore, this was a negative impact because even the police were
oppressing Latinos from freedom of expression. The Zoot Suit Riots were not the only times Latinos
were discriminated, and it just wasn't teens that were subject to oppression. In document P, it shows
a photo and article of Macario Garcia, the first Mexican National to be awarded the Congressional
Medal of Order. Unfortunately, at a diner in his hometown, he was refused service because they told
him, "we don't serve Mexicans in here". This proves that Latinos were impacted negatively because
they came back from the war expected to be seen as equal and American as whites since they spilled
their blood for the protect their country, yet due to the racist beliefs of many they were still
discriminated. Another impact that affected Latinos was the Bracero program. According to A
History of the Mexican American People, they contracted over 100,000 Mexicans to work on
manual labor during the

Carey Mcwilliams 'Truth Under The Media Bias'
Truth Under the Media Bias Sometimes one event can be interpreted as two completely different
stories. Known as a huge conflict between Anglo–American sailors and Latino youths, the zoot suit
riots are good examples showing that different people can view the same event in totally different
ways. During the time of the zoot suit riots, the local press exaggerated the situation and blamed
zooters for beginning the riots. While the press showed sympathy for the sailors, Carey
McWilliams, a famous journalist, was on the Mexican youths' side and published her version of the
story. In her article "North from Mexico, Blood on the pavements", McWilliams states that the press
was stirring up the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
McWilliams had enough facts to prove that innocent Mexicans had suffered, but she failed to
include any facts that came from the sailors' side. On the hand, the press successfully collected the
facts that speak for the sailors, but forgot the facts provided by the Mexicans. In her article,
McWilliams states that "none of the stories from the press, however, reported the slightest resistance
on the part of the Mexicans." She criticized the press as being biased and thought the press failed to
be fair and objective. At the same time, McWilliams herself was being opinionated. All her facts
were from the witness account from the Mexicans. With just one side of the story and not being at
the scene herself, McWilliams failed to treat the facts fairly and included only the facts that confirm
her

Historical Analysis Of Zoot Suit, By Luiz Valdez
Historical Analysis of Zoot Suit Zoot Suit was written by Luiz Valdez and published in 1978. The
story is based on the Sleepy Lagoon murder trials of the 1940s and follows protagonist Henry
Reyna. This play deals with the intercultural conflicts between Henry's generation and his parent's.
This story also deals with the intercultural struggles between Mexican–Americans and white
Americans. In this historical analysis, I will not only be looking at what events in history influenced
this play and the author, but how this play uses those historical influences are used to create a
realistic screenshot of the 1940s Los Angeles. Los Angles was going through huge demographics
changed in the early 1940's. Mexican refugees were escaping the Mexican Revolution, farmers were
fleeing the Dust bowl, and American service men rushed to Los Angeles because of World War II
("People & Events"). The economy was booming from the war as American production increased.
The youth was partaking in jazz culture and began wearing zoot suits. Because of the Sleepy
Lagoon murders, the zoot suit was associated with Mexican violence. Eventually, tensions rose
between the rebelling Mexican–American youth and Marines because the servicemen found it their
responsibility to straighten the youth up. This led to the Zoot Suit Riots of 1943 that left hundreds
injured. As stated by the citizens committee investigating the riots; racism was the central cause of
the riots ("People & Events"). The script takes place before and during the riots and is intended
portray the discrimination of the era. The author of the play, Luiz Valdez, is a 76–year–old
Mexican–American male that is known to be the father of Chicano plays. He earned a degree in
theater from San Jose State University and founded El Teatro Campesino (Albert). El Teatro would
perform for migrant farm workers. Valdez grew up working alongside his parents in the field. This
led to Valdez be an activist; his theater would perform plays to aid the farm worker strikes by lifting
the spirits of the protesters. For that, Valdez became an influential leader in the Chicano movement.
He had interesting early life experiences that gave him inspiration for his plays. In Zoot Suit, the
protagonist

Anglo-Hucan-American Cultures Of Mexican-Americans And...
Due to racial tensions between Anglo–Saxons and Mexicans, Mexican–Americans struggled to find
their place in American society. Mexican–Americans are often under a microscope and picked apart
for being "too American" among Mexicans and "too Mexican" for Americans, which led to
Mexican–Americans creating their own subculture in society. These Mexican–Americans refer
themselves as Pachucos while Americans referred to them as Zoot Suiters. Pachucos deviated from
mainstream culture through their clothes, language and attitude/behavior. Pachucos did not want to
be a part of American society; rather they wanted to stand out and resist assimilation and pressure to
enlist for the war. Through this subculture, Mexican–Americans embraced being different and
carried themselves in a manner that is deviant to the culture of the larger society during the 1940s.
Racial tension was running high to anyone that was different. Howard Becker suggested that
"culture arises essentially in response to a problem faced in common by a group of people..." which
is seen in the Pachuco culture (Becker, 80). The pachuco did not want to become a Mexican again;
at the same time, he did not want to blend into the life of North America, this was the problem that
many Mexican–Americans faced when living in the United States (Paz, 14). This group rebelled
against both Mexican and American cultures and it grew because this group was not seen as
patriotic nor American because they refused to enlist and resisted

Zoot Suit Riots
Zoot Suit Riots Racial tensions began heightening in the city of Los Angeles on June of 1943. It's
what came to be known as the Zoot Suit Riots. Racial tension between Mexican Americans who
were called both pachucos and zoot suiters. They were known for their fashion which had a
symbolic meaning towards them, it was a way in expressing themselves which white sailors and
servicemen disliked. They saw Mexican Americans as thugs, gang members, and delinquents. White
servicemen and sailors were unfamiliar with hispanics, but it was so easy for them to discriminate
by appearance. Several Mexican Americans served in white units. Tension was rising between them,
especially when marines and sailors assaulted both Mexican and African Americans in their own
neighborhood. Also, for a false rumor towards Mexican Americans which stated that they had
attacked and stabbed a sailor. Both races were being discriminated and were treated unjustly. The
day came on June 3, 1943 where these conflicts led to the Zoot Suit Riots. This incident of violence
lasted a whole week. Zoot suiters were beaten and arrested for no reason at all. The issues that led to
the Zoot Suits in 1943 was Jose Diaz, the Sleepy Lagoon Case, and racial attacks between whites
and people of color. This filled the atmosphere with a lot of hatred and discrimination that had
erupted in the summer of 1943. The riot led to a compromise of all military personnel being banned
from the city limits with in Los Angeles

Analysis of "Zoot Suit" Essay
The book Zoot Suit has symbolic significance for Mexican Americans and tells about the riots
during World War II. The Sleepy Lagoon Murder was one step in the fight for the rights and respect
of Mexican American's. This riot involved young servicemen and civilians who clashed in the
streets of the city with young Mexican Americans who wore the noticeable "Zoot Suit."
At their height, the riots involved several thousand men and women. In the end no one was killed
and only a few were injured but even today, the Zoot Suit riots are remembered for their
significance.
Throughout the play there are underlying theme that suggest different ideas. The themes I will
discuss is how Mexican American men are portrayed in relation ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The Zoot Suit represents a changing society that the general population isn't ready to accept it so
they blame the crimes and the murders on those who dare to vary from "normal." This is
going on during World War II and many of the Mexican Americans feel like they have no place
fighting the war and that the real war is the war between soldiers with their tight button up collars
and the hang loose Zoot Suiters who are mostly Mexican American.
Pachuco asked Henry, "Off to fight for your country?" (p. 30) Henry replies,
"Why not?" (p. 30) Pachuco then states, "Because this ain't your country. Look
what's happening all around you. The Japs have sewed up the Pacific. Rommel is kicking ass in
Egypt but the Mayor of L.A. has declared an all out war on Chicanos. On you!" (p. 30) This
quote brings up the issue relating to whether WWII should be fought by Mexican Americans or not.
Pachuco, in this scene, seems to feel that it isn't a war to be fought by the Mexican American but it
is a time to begin a war to gain respect for this culture.
Pachuco says, "The city's cracking down on pachucos, carnal. Don't you read the newspapers?
They're screaming for blood." (p. 29) This quote implies that the press is exaggerating the
stories it tells in order to sell more papers. The press may have contributed to the Zoot Suit Riot
with their influence on public beliefs. He refers to the newspaper

Zoot Suit Riots Case Study
Guadalupe Alvarado
Mr. Wright
AVID 11
23, October , 2017
Zoot Suit Riots
Last year I was able to get a small glimpse on the Zoot Suit Riots that had taken place in the 1930s.
On August 4, 1942 the United States concluded a temporary agreement for the use of Mexican
agricultural labor on United State farms. World War II took a huge impact on the beginning of this
program and the beginning of the conflicts that ran through Harlem. These so called riots soon
began to change the views on the Mexicans that were dressed in such a way the Americans began to
have conflict with these Pachuco Zoot Suiters. In June 1943 Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles,
California were a series of attacks against Mexican American youth and other minorities by white
American servicemen. After these Zoot Suit riots broke out and began to startle the mexican
ethnicities. Families were damaged, lives were killed. Discouraging this is a topic that was
completely reversed and not taken as seriously as is should have been. Imposing the lower and
colored minorities for the economic problems this country has gone through.
During these times dance halls were extremely popular for interacting, dancing and forgetting about
the stress of what was going on around the economic world such as the Great Depression. L.A was
full of mexicans. The style of the young people began to evolve and mexicans were influenced
through the hip, slang and Chicano ways. These zoot suits outfits were very popular in African
American

Mexicans And Mexican American Youth
Throughout our history as a nation, we have earned a reputation of undermining the relationships we
have had with minorities and of largely neglecting their needs. Our almost hostile nature towards
minorities in the United States can largely be seen in the treatment of Mexicans and Mexican
American citizens in the times surrounding World War Two. Such hostilities are reflected in our
treatment of Mexican Americans in the late 19th after the Civil War and early 20th centuries, the
Sleepy Lagoon murder responses, and the Zoot Suit riots. My primary source reveals a feeling of
inferiority in the United States by the Mexican American youth due discrimination that they faced,
which can be better understood by analyzing the cultural contexts. As railroads expanded during the
United States western expansionist period in the late 19th century, Mexican immigration along with
Eastern migration grew in the west. Once the Mexican immigrants arrived, they largely occupied
commercial agriculture in large farms, mining industries, and the construction of railroads, but were
generally paid very little. During this time, as Arizona State History Professor Manuel P. Servín
explained, the Mexican Americans that had been here for years had already begun to feel despised
by the Western Expansionists, and were looked at as less American and an unassimilable foreigner.
The lower class Mexican immigrants and citizens largely assimilated on rail road cities, or Sonora
towns, such as Los Angeles, El

Zoot Suit Riot Analysis
When Octavio Paz first visited the largest Mexican population center outside of Mexico's
international borders, Los Angles, he said the city had a "vague atmosphere" of Mexicanism in that
manifested itself through "delight in decorations, carelessness and pomp, negligence, passion and
reserve." But he felt that his "ragged but beautiful" ghost of Mexican identity rarely interacted with
"the North American world based on precision and efficiency." Instead, this Mexicanism floated
above the city, "never quite existing, never quite vanishing.1By the time Paz visited the exterior
Mexico, a generation of Mexican revolution immigrants had their children in the United States and
they had matured. These people had heard the corridos of the Revolutionary ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Mexican officials openly warned Mexican nationals to stay off the streets. Mexican news
publications also opened reported the connections the Zoot Suit Riots had to racism. This was the
first time most Mexicans in Mexico had heard of the racism faced by their brethren were facing in
the United States. Unfortunately for justice, World War II was still happening, and the United States
and Mexico were allies. The Mexican government could not seemingly bad mouth the USA, even
for the sake of some of its owe nationals. US foreign investments to Mexican infrastructure had
been growing during the war and the two countries were finishing a deal over the rights of the Rio
Grande and Colorado Rivers. The Mexican government also had two different messages from two
of their officials. Adolfo de la Huerta, the inspector general of the consulates, said hundreds of
people "of Mexican extraction" were injured. Alfredo Elias Calles, the Mexican consul in Los
Angeles, said that those injured where Mexican nationals. All of these factors kept the Mexican
government from making a formal statement quickly. When they finally did, the Mexican foreign
ministry said that the "Mexican government would demand punishment for those responsible and
indemnification of the victims" but they also were told not to talk about the Los Angeles
disturbances. After that, no more official statements were released. The Mexican government never
made its own investigation or addressed racism their nationals experience in the

How Does Henry Reyna Make A Chicano
The Pachuco The Chicano way was the way it was during the 1940s in the city of Los Angeles. The
title of my book is "Zoot Suit and Other Plays" written by Luis Valdez. This story takes place on the
year 1942 in the city of Los Angeles, California. The way the story is that the main character of the
story by the name of Henry Reyna, the ringleader of the 38th street gang, is unjustly charged for the
Sleepy Lagoon murder of a man and is sentenced to life in prison. He wasn't the only one charged a
few of his gang members were charged as well. Their lawyer George Shearer and a news reporter
Alice Bloomfield worked for several months to get them out and after many protests and petitions
the 38th street gang was released for lack of evidence to hold then guilty. The main character Henry
Reyna is very prideful, brings a big influence to his people, and very optimistic. . In the 1940's there
were much of discrimination towards the Mexican race. Chicanos were discriminated by their
clothing. Chicanos found their clothing way of expression and a way of identifying themselves in
their Mexican–American culture. Henry Reyna takes pride in his culture and his way of style.
According to an article the Pachuco style from 1940's was the oversized zoo suits with their hats and
their long chains on the side of their body. This was how Henry dressed to impress. "Dolores: Mira
mojo. I know you work hard for your clothes. And I know how much they mean to you...... I

Zoot Suit Riots : The Similarities Between The Death Of...
In the documentary Zoot Suit Riots, the similarity between the death of Jose Diaz and the Zoot Suit
Riots is the zoot suiters both encountered prejudice and critiques in the papers. Hank Leyvas and the
boys were sentenced as guilty in Los Angeles tabloid journals. And the Los Angeles press has severe
bias against the zoot suiter and even is hostile to them. In the papers, they were partial to the
servicemen and said that they had only been avenging injuries on them and their wives caused by
zoot suiters. And they praised the acts of servicemen which involved attacks and assaults and
considered them to have the effect of cleansing hoodlums. Moreover, the Los Angeles Examiner
even wrote that there were no time for arguments and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The other servicemen fought their ways back and towed him back to safety. The story of this fight
spread and was more and more distorted in each retelling of the it. Then few days later, sailors
formed an avenging strike against the zoot suiters. This was where the riots began. In 1942, the
death of Jose Diaz occurred on August 2. On October 13, the largest trial in California history,
seventeen Mexican boys faced charges related to the death of Jose Diaz. On Dec 10, the War
Relocation Authority set up a prison in Utah for stubborn Japanese Internment camp Inmates. On
December 31, a fight in Detroit evolved into a citywide riot which caused twenty five blacks and
nine whites dead and $2 million property destroyed. In 1943, starting from March to July 17, Los
Angeles bans zoot suits. On May 31, a group of sailors and soldiers generated conflicts with
Mexican American youths near downtown Los Angeles. One sailor was hit on the head. On June 3,
a group of sailors intent on a revenge for their wounded sailor and targeted all zoot suiters. From
June 4 to June 7, the riots kept expanding and spreading into Watts. On June 8, military evacuated
soldiers from LA. On September 8, Italy officially surrendered to the Allied powers. On October 13,
the seventeen defendants were convicted of assault and sentenced to jail. In 1944, first–generation
Japanese Americans were deemed to be eligible for the military draft on January 14.

Discuss The Causes Of The Zoot Suit Riots
The Causes and eventual outcomes of the Zoot Suit Riots. The Causes. Zoot suit riots started on
june 3rd 1943. At that time there was war immediately upon, zoot suits and other impractical
representatives were banned. Frequent people thought that this was a very bad idea, racist and was a
transgression on one's will. On june 3rd 1943, a riot of Naval personnel on coast on leave was
mentioned to be badly beaten by Hispanic pachucos (a juvenile gang member of Mexican–
American ethnic origin). In addition, A troop made above 200 marines took off into east Los
Angeles, whipping and exposing the zoot suiters just because of their clothes. Ennead marines got
taken

Zoot Suit Riots Research Paper

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Zoot Suit Riots Research Paper