Zoot Suit Riots!

Zoot Suits represented a Mexican-American teenage cultural fashion that was made out of material that was discouraged from purchasing during World War II due to rations. Amongst Mexican-Americans continuing to wear this material as well as the racial tensions that had been building up within Los Angeles, a city that contained a high percentage of Latinos within the 1940s, due to job displacement and negative media from the Los Angeles Times, there was sparked hatred towards Mexican-Americans especially those who wore these zoot suits. 

When June 3, 1943 came around, many navy sailors on the streets turned their hatred into violence and sadistically harassed, humiliated, and beat hundreds of Zoot Suit wearers. Throughout this whole ordeal, policemen watched and turned the other way, approving of the actions of the sailors. Even after, some of the officials within the judicial system blamed those wearing Zoot Suits for these riots or didn't properly distribute punishments to those who participated in the violence to innocent citizens. Although Mexican-Americans fought in self-defense from those targeting minorities throughout those few days, the policemen ended up arresting primarily those who were of Latino descent.

Through the events at hand, one can look back at Los Angeles history and see the racial tensions and inequalities that plagued the lives of minorities and caucasians. History is important in this case because it shows us mistakes within courts and authorities, and that with power comes responsibility to treat every person, no matter if different in any sense, equally. It also shows the cruelty within human nature when given persuasion through media as well as a situation that creates jealousy or competition when a group shows differences within culture. Much of the country as this time was facing discourse with civil rights, and California and Los Angeles was specifically faced with racial discrimination concerning Latinos and Mexican-Americans.

Through my research, I will look for different perceptions of the Zoot Suit Riots, especially of those who were harassed as well as those who contributed to the injustices. I want to look for discriminations against minorities within Southern California during the 20th century in general as well as the Latino community. I also want to find through my research how the civil rights of the Mexican-Americans has changed since the Riots and to what extent was justice served after the Zoot Suit Riots.

Primary Sources of Zoot Suiters