Zoot Suit Riots

Zoot suit riots is the name given to a series of conflicts that occurred in the summer of 1943 in Los Angeles, California, between servicemen and Mexican American youths who wore outfits called zoot suits. The zoot suit consisted of a broad-shouldered drape jacket, balloon-leg trousers, and, sometimes, a flamboyant hat. Mexican and Mexican American youths who wore these outfits were called zoot-suiters. These individuals referred to themselves as pacbucos, which is a name linked to the Mexican American generation's rebellion against both Mexican and American culture.

Pressures related to U.S. involvement in World War II contributed to the racial tensions that preceded the riots. Workers were needed in the agricultural and service sectors of the United States to fill the jobs vacated by those who were serving in the military. An agreement was reached with Mexico whereby temporary workers from Mexico were brought into the United States. This influx of Mexican workers was not particularly welcomed by the White Americans in the area.

As part of the war efforts, in March 1942, the United States had begun rationing various resources. Restrictions on wool had a direct effect on the manufacture of wool suits and other clothing. There were regulations prohibiting the manufacturing of zoot suits, but a network of bootleg tailors continued to manufacture them. This exacerbated racial tensions, because Mexican American youths wearing the zoot suits were seen as un-American because they were deliberately ignoring the rationing regulations.

The zoot suit riots are commonly associated with the Sleepy Lagoon murder that occurred in August 1942. The Sleepy Lagoon, as it was nicknamed, was one of the larger reservoirs outside the city of Los Angeles, California. On the night of August 1, 1942, two groups of zoot-suiters were involved in a fight near the Sleepy Lagoon. The next morning one of the zoot-suiters was dead. There was a racially based public outcry against the zoot-suiters, fueled by local tabloids. Citing concerns about juvenile delinquency, Governor Cuthbert Olson used the zoot-suiter's death as the impetus for a roundup by the Los Angeles Police Department of more than 600 Mexican American people on two consecutive nights. Several of the zoot-suiters who were arrested were tried and convicted of murder. However, many people saw the trial as a railroading and attacked the verdict as a miscarriage of justice. The convictions of the Mexican American youths were reversed on appeal in October 1944.

However, during the period from 1942 through 1943, the news media continued to portray the zoot-suiters as dangerous gang members who were capable of murder. Based on the news reports, more and more people began to believe that the Mexican American youths, particularly the zoot-suiters, were predisposed to committing crime. Although these youths were engaging in rising gang violence, the news media exaggerated and sensationalized the extent of this problem. It is in this racially charged atmosphere that the conflict between the servicemen and the Mexican American youths began.

Within months of the Sleepy Lagoon convictions, in June 1943, Los Angeles erupted in what is commonly referred to as the Zoot Suit Riots. From May 30, 1943, through June 8, 1943, a series of confrontations occurred between servicemen and Mexican American youths. The so-called riots began when 11 sailors stated they had been attacked by a group of Mexican American zoot-suiters. As a result, a number of uniformed sailors chartered cabs and proceeded to the Mexican American community, seeking out the zoot-suiters. What followed was a series of conflicts between servicemen and zoot-suiters, sometimes including civilians. Both sides reported that their wives and girlfriends were subjected to sexual taunts and assaults from the other side. Servicemen on their way back to base at night were often attacked by the zoot-suiters, who were attempting to teach the servicemen some respect. The zoot-suiters set traps for servicemen and assaulted them in their cars. [Page 925]Many zoot-suiters were beaten by servicemen and stripped of their zoot suits on the spot. The servicemen sometimes urinated on the zoot suits or burned them in the streets. One local paper actually printed an article describing how to “de-zoot” a zoot-suiter, including directions that the zoot suits should be burned. The servicemen were also portrayed in local news publications as heroes fighting against what was referred to as a Mexican crime wave.

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