The+Los+Angeles+Zoot+Suit+Riots-2

Name: Melinda Larachez Age: 8 Hometown: Los Angeles School: Shepherd Cross Grammar School Relationships: Has a single mother, two brothers (16, 18) Ethnicity: Mexican-American Birthday: November 19 Occupation: Student

My mother has always believed that one day, us Mexicans will be fully accepted as Americans. After all, we are Mexican-Americans. My mother and I live in Los Angeles and she works as a seamstress for embroidered clothing. According to her, the sacrifices made in World War II that we of Mexican heritage must endure will eventually be the keys to a better future. I couldn’t disagree more, especially once the year 1943 came around. My 2 brothers, Juan and Eduardo are teens and like most Mexican-Americans their age, were rebellious, and often wore outfits called “**zoot suits**” to state their hatred for old tradition. They are long jackets with pleated pants, and often they were broad-rimmed hats. (Danzer 593). On the fateful day of June 3, 1943, eleven sailors from Los Angeles, cried out they’d been attacked and robbed by a group of Mexican-American zoot-suits, just like my brothers. That very night, over 200 rowdy and prejudiced sailors traveled to Eastern Los Angeles and started an assault on all young Latino males, ripping off their clothing and beating them senseless.

My older brother, Eduardo, ended up with only a bloody nose and black eye, but Juan had one arm and an ankle broken! And it was not just zoot suiters, it was any young black or Filipino boys. You would think that the police and authorities would call this a hate crime, and one that had had no proof or reason to commence, but in fact they approved of it! As more and more people joined the riots, including soldiers and regular civilians, the police had began to arrest and charge over 500 Latino youths for their rioting, and hurting Americans. Newspapers shouted “Zoot Suiters Get What They Deserve!” and other things opposed to all Mexicans, and the Los Angeles City Council banned the wearing Zoot Suits, calling it “a badge of hoodlumism”. These attacks lasted almost a week. (Angeles 1). It wasn’t until June 7th that the navy went to stop the rioting. There was a public outcry from the rioters who dubbed it as unfair. On June 16th the President issued a comment stating just what I had been thinking-“It was not just the suits, but in fact a racial protest.” Papers were irritated by her accused communist learnings. Although the government promised some sort of discipline for the Americans who had participated, but no punishment was ever given. (Zoot 2).

Danzer, A. Gerald. __The Americans__. Evanston, Illinois: McDougall Littell Inc. 2003."Zoot Suit Riots".

Zoot Suits at Suavecito Apparel Co. 2007. 23 October 2007. 

“Los Angeles Zoot Suit Riots”. Los Angeles Almanac. 2006. 23 October 2007. 