Zoot Suit Riots

Culture is one of the most relevant elements that can define not only a society but also a country’s cumulative beliefs and system. Often noted as the origins of a country, culture is definitive in the sense that it harbors all the elements that can provide justification on the traditions and norms set by the society for its members. More often than not, the society members follow norms in order to create a harmonious community, and the beliefs and the traditions serve as the poles or grounding rules for each member to follow. Culture is very dynamic in the way that it can change over a variety of foreign influences but what is permanent about it is that original elements about it often lingers with the influences, therefore making it multi-faceted and broad. More importantly, culture serves as an individual and unique trait each society has, and therefore sets it apart from other countries and other societies.

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.

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.

“…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?

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

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

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.

In this paper I will begin by defining personal culture and national culture. After, I will then elaborate my own personal and national culture. I will continue to talk about the subject with the person that I have chosen for my cultural group, my mother, and I will identify her personal and national culture. Lastly, I will talk about my own personality and how it has a connection with my own natural culture; knowing this is important, it lets us know who we are, and how we act with people who are from different cultures.

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.”

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

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).

I did a little bit of research on the Zoot Suit Riots and I learned that it had something to with the United States being involved in World War II. I guess that created a lot of tension between people and different races, which started these riots. There was a lot of false accusations against the zoot suiters, some of it involved murder. They were discriminated, especially by the police, and most of them were arrested. When this all ended, the mayor said that it had nothing to do with racism, it was just the fault of all of these criminals. Obviously, this was a lie, since they were trying to cover up the real reason of why the Zoot Suit Riots started. If I was in this position, and I was attacked for being myself, I would definitely fight

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