Zoot Suit Riots Research Paper
Rigoberto Rodriguez
Professor Beeles
SPA 281
April 26, 2016
The Emergence of the Zoot Suits
In the early '40s in Los Angeles, several factors made the city remain under stress, contributing to conflicts known as the Zoot Suit Riots. Decades of discrimination have forced the Mexican-American community to turn inward. By the 1940, LA 240,000 Mexican-American lived in a series of neighborhoods called barrios. These communities were traditional, conservative and self-contained. During those years, segregations was very usual, and any thing was used as an excuse to bad treat Mexicans, with the Zoot Suits, they were seen as criminals and rebels.
Mexican American teenagers that grew up in the atmosphere of a second-class citizenship started to use fashion, culture, and solidarity to express their identity, and to proclaim their rebellion. They dressed in baggy Zoot Suits, a style adopted from African-Americans and the LA jazz scene. Mexican American youth left their East LA barrios and hit the jazz clubs. …show more content…
The servicemen didn’t understand the Zoot Suit crowd and perceived them as a threat. The media at the time was blaming Mexican American "gangs" for crime in LA, which had nothing to do with the Zoot Suit Crowd, because although they were Mexican American they didn’t formed "gangs". In short these resentments coupled with the media's reporting about Mexican American Gangs prompted the servicemen to launch attacks on the Zoot Suit crowd who were an easy target for an already keyed up group of people. The police instead of arresting the military men arrested the Zoot Suit Crowd and the attacks continued until the military police stepped in and ended it. It was a tragic U.S. incidents that had nothing to do with the Mexican American Community of the time seeking race equality but being persecuted for being who they are...once
Professor Beeles
SPA 281
April 26, 2016
The Emergence of the Zoot Suits
In the early '40s in Los Angeles, several factors made the city remain under stress, contributing to conflicts known as the Zoot Suit Riots. Decades of discrimination have forced the Mexican-American community to turn inward. By the 1940, LA 240,000 Mexican-American lived in a series of neighborhoods called barrios. These communities were traditional, conservative and self-contained. During those years, segregations was very usual, and any thing was used as an excuse to bad treat Mexicans, with the Zoot Suits, they were seen as criminals and rebels.
Mexican American teenagers that grew up in the atmosphere of a second-class citizenship started to use fashion, culture, and solidarity to express their identity, and to proclaim their rebellion. They dressed in baggy Zoot Suits, a style adopted from African-Americans and the LA jazz scene. Mexican American youth left their East LA barrios and hit the jazz clubs. …show more content…
The servicemen didn’t understand the Zoot Suit crowd and perceived them as a threat. The media at the time was blaming Mexican American "gangs" for crime in LA, which had nothing to do with the Zoot Suit Crowd, because although they were Mexican American they didn’t formed "gangs". In short these resentments coupled with the media's reporting about Mexican American Gangs prompted the servicemen to launch attacks on the Zoot Suit crowd who were an easy target for an already keyed up group of people. The police instead of arresting the military men arrested the Zoot Suit Crowd and the attacks continued until the military police stepped in and ended it. It was a tragic U.S. incidents that had nothing to do with the Mexican American Community of the time seeking race equality but being persecuted for being who they are...once