Cookies Policy, This essay on The Los Angeles Zoot-Suit Riots and Its Effects was written and submitted by your fellow student. "The Los Angeles Zoot-Suit Riots and Its Effects." JSTOR. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy. Many young men like Vicente Morales were attacked, humiliated, and stripped from their fashionable clothes by servicemen. Zoot Suit, a play written by Luis Valdez, depicts the racially charged trial of the Sleepy Lagoon Case of 1942 in which the courts charged a group of Pachucos with the murder of another Mexican-American. Accordingly, their nationalism was dented as they felt like second-class citizens in their country of birth. Tierce, the most celebrated of all cases sensationalized by the Los Angeles Times, was the “Sleepy Lagoon” trial.
The mounting tension between the two groups was exasperated by the fact they shared a different language, customs, and more frequently than not, a different religion. Henry Reyna and El Pachuco are granted three dimensional personalities in Zoot Suit through writing techniques and artistic aspects, which serve to represent the disempowerment, The Pachuco Ethnic minorities are more prone to prejudice and discrimination than the majority of ethnic groups in the US. Racists believe that some ethnic groups are naturally inferior to others. Want us to write one just for you? We utilize security vendors that protect and ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must. This choice of wardrobe, 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. According to Castillo, the Zoot-Suit riots exposed the racial hatred towards Latin Americans and other ethnic minorities. “Colors”: Obvious or subtle colors of clothing, a particular clothing brand, jewelry, or haircuts are a few signs of violence today. "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, Draped Suits versus Pressed Uniforms 2020 © gradesfixer.com. - Zoot suits were looked down upon, not because of who wore them, but because of the excess use of fabric at the time. They saw Mexican Americans as thugs, gang members, and delinquents. Further analyses of the Zoot-Suit riots indicate that these happenings were part of a wider scheme to victimize California’s ethnic minorities (Watson). Web. Attention!
this essay is not unique. The Zoot-Suit riots show that ethnic intolerance is not something new in the US. White servicemen and sailors, Zoot Suit’s use of duality and politicization of characters and ideologies is a key component of the Sleepy Lagoon murder and the disempowerment of Mexican Americans in the 1940s, which lead to the rise of the Chicano movement.
Therefore, current and historical disparities in California follow historical precedents in other states.
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. IvyPanda, 14 Mar. Smaller bits of violence, such as this case, helped construct the creations for a howler that would bring the city to its knees and leave a permanent imprint on the Mexican American community. The riots were scattered throughout the nation however were more prominent in Harlem and of course the most notable, being the rioting in Los Angeles. Nonetheless, these groups have endured racism and ethnic stratification throughout history. 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. Pssst… To combat such discrimination many Chicano youth wore stylized zoot suits, adorned with … As a result, the correct description of these people and their cultures is distorted. Tensions began between the two cultural groups when the local media sensationalized crime in the country and blamed it mainly on Mexican Americans. Zoot Suit, a play written by Luis Valdez, depicts the racially charged trial of the Sleepy Lagoon Case of 1942 in which the courts charged a group of Pachucos with the murder of another Mexican-American. Its publicity, thus, exposed the plight of ethnic minorities in California and the entire country. Smaller arguments that had burst out between Mexican Americans and armed forces escalated quickly. The message Valdez is trying to tell us in our perspective is that there will … There are three iconic symbols of the presence of Mexican Americans in the history of the United States: The role of Mexican Americans in the WWII, the Bracero movement, and the Zoot Suit Riot. The Zoot Suit Riots started on June 3, 1943, when eleven sailors on leave walked into a Mexican American barrio neighborhood in Los Angeles and got involved in a battle with a group of men thought to be of Mexican decent. To combat such discrimination many Chicano youth wore stylized zoot suits… You can use them for inspiration, an insight into a particular topic, a handy source of reference, or even just as a template of a certain type of paper. (2020, March 14). Although their socio-economic status is improving, African Americans and the Hispanics sit at the bottom of the ethnic hierarchy in the US.