Zoot Suit Riots
... broad brimmed hat with a feather in it, and a long chained watch. This was the standard Pachuco outfit for the teenage boys. (Jimenez). These teenage boys, or Pachucos, belonged to local clubs that some would refer to as gangs. Others feel these clubs were determined by the area in which they lived, and some believe that these groups were only the beginning of what we now think of as “gangs.” However, the interesting quality of a Zoot Suiter or Pachuco, was his acute awareness of his appearance. These boys were very concerned with the way they looked and would always be seen looking neat and well-dressed. The difference between and gangster and a Zoot Suiter, is a gangster did not have this sense of style and did not pride himself in his appearance. A Zoot Suiter stood out. In a time where clothing and personal belongings were being rationed for the war, these boys dressed in these over the top outfits. Some believed they were influenced by the Nazis. Carlos M. Jimenez in his book The Mexican American Heritage states, “Once the Japanese Americans were out of the picture, it appeared that another scapegoat was needed. Of course, we all know that a scapegoat is someone who receives all the blame for a particular problem or set of problems. Usually a particular society, in such cases, focuses on the majority upon a minority and vents its angers and frustrations upon them.” The Pachucos were seen as being dangerous and criminal. The newspapers and media portrayed these boys in such manner and often related negative connotation with them. The Los Angeles Times newspaper would print stories about “Mexican Hoodlums” even though there were similar groups of boys known as the Anglo boys. Those boys however, did not get the negative media that the Zoot Suiters did. Interestingly enough, the crime rate among young Mexican Americans did not go up during this time (Pagan). In August of 1942, a fight between Pachucos broke out in a swimming hole known as the Sleepy Lagoon. The next day a young boy by the name of Jose Diaz was found unconscious; he later died. The media went crazy as a result of this and newspapers press hysteria and bigotry fueled the arrest of over 300 Mexican American youths. The Los Angeles Police Department stopped every car in the Mexican barrios and if the person had any tools, like a hammer or wrench, he was arrested. This all led to a corrupt trial in which the judge and prosecutors disregarded any civil rights and of the 300 arrested, 175 of them were held on charged. There were no eye witnesses to the crime, no murder weapon, and no motive. Despite the complete lack of evidence, including no proof the Diaz had in fact been murdered, twelve defendants were convicted of the murder and five were convicted of assault. No one seemed to care about the boys were in unjustly thrown into jail except for a few. These people formed a group called the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee. The people involved in this group tried to keep this case in the public eye, but months passed and these boys were in jail during what was to be known as the Zoot Suit Riots. A young lawyer by the name of Ben Margolis took the case, and finally won a reversal after arguing that the defendants had been denied their right to council. Margolis experienced much hatred for what he had done and it is recalled that he had rocked thrown through his windows at home (Suavecito). On June 3, 1943, eleven sailors on shore leave stated that they were attacked by a group of Mexican Pachucos. One sailor was badly hurt. In response to this, on the night of June 4, 200 uniformed sailors chartered 20 cabs and charged into the Mexican American community in East Los Angeles. They targeted Zoot Suiters. They would jump out of their cabs when they saw any Zoot Suiters and beat them up. The newspapers called these sailors “heroes.” On this and the following nights, many a zoot suiters were beaten by this mob and stripped of their clothes, their zoot suits, on the spot. Nine sailors were arrested during these disturbances, not one was charged with any crime. The nights of June 6th and 7th were the worst nights of the riots. Thousands of servicemen (by this time the sailors had been joined by soldiers and marines) went searching for Pachucos. Zoot Suiters were left bleeding in the streets after their suits had been torn off. They went marching down the streets, breaking into bars and theaters, and assaulting anyone in their way. They stopped street cars and pulled Mexican Americans out of their cars and beat them up. A twelve-year-old boy even had his jaw broken by the servicemen. Not one was arrested by the Police or the Sheriff. Also on June 7, 1943 the Navy declared Lost Angeles off limits to all military personnel. The riots were over. The only people who were arreste...