Wide brimmed hats, broad-shouldered long coats, high-waisted pants,slick back duck tail, and a long dangling chains to put everything together.Knee high skirt, finger tip coat, and Teased hair that was lightened by peroxide.This was the wardrobe of a pachucos, young Latino and Latinas who lived in the barrios of Los Angles during the 40’s. Pachucos were always cleaned cut in full wardrobe and always dressed to impress. Young Latino men were never caught without there outfit even if they were on a date at the beach. “Zoot suiters were never caught out of there wardrobe, they even wore high-wasted pants to the beach” (Mazon 5). Pachucos were not about causing trouble or maintaining control of a city. They simply were about looking the best their best. However the media manipulated society and perceived pachucos as gangsters who were ruth less and chaotic.
During the 1940’s the masculine and feminine pachucos were know as zoot suiters. They were cleaned cut teenagers that were always clean cut and associate with jazz and the jitterbug dance craze that was sweeping the Los Angeles scene. Although many zoot suiters were Latino there were various races and ethnicity's that associated as a zoot suiter.
Mazon states, “During World War II, a period of social homogenization, enforced rationing, and increased class and physical mobility, the zoot suit emerged as a symbol of conspicuous consumption and working-class style in the United States”(20). On June 13, 1943 a number of sailors claimed to be mugged and robbed by zoot suiters.The following day a mob of sailors entered Los Angeles seeking revenge and began to beat up ever single zoot suitor they see. Authority figures turned away and let the riots play out on there own. Mazon states that the riots were simply an attack on zoot suitors, “after several days of rioting and assaults by servicemen, more than 150 had been injured and police had arrested and charged more than 500 Latino youths for "rioting" or "vagrancy," many themselves the victims”(21).
I believe the fear of the war and the stress lead to the spark of the zoot suit riots. There was no authority or action taking place while the riots were going on and after everything was all set and done service men were seen as heroes. The Los Angeles Times headlined "Zoot Suiters Learn Lesson in Fight with Servicemen" the day after the riots were put to an end.
The riots ended and youth were seen in a whole different way.“The zoot suit became a hallmark of juvenile delinquency, even though most of its wearers were not criminals or members of formal gangs. In particular it came to be associated with Mexican American and African American juvenile delinquency.” (Mazon 81)
Resources:
The Zoot-Suit Riots the Psychology of Symbolic Annihilation
by Mauricio Mazon
Los Angeles Almanac
Los Angeles Zoot Suit Riots (http://www.laalmanac.com/history/hi07t.htm)
Mike, you do a fantastic job of contrasting the actual qualities of zoot suiters with the negative associations that became so widespread in the time surrounding the riots. I was really appalled that the L.A. Times headline was "Zoot Suiters Learn Lesson in Fight with Servicemen."
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed by your forgiving attitude toward the mainstream that demonized L.A.'s Latino youth culture, even as the zoot suiters were enduring physical violence and widespread discrimination.
The main way to improve your post in revision will be to clean up some of the superficial errors and awkwardness in syntax/phrasing.
What a great quote: “During World War II, a period of social homogenization, enforced rationing, and increased class and physical mobility, the zoot suit emerged as a symbol of conspicuous consumption and working-class style in the United States." I remember reading somewhere that the government deemed zoot suits "wasteful" because of the excess fabric and so forth, but that the condemnation seemed to make the fashion all the more popular. That could support the argument that the style was "a symbol of conspicuous consumption."
What would be the equivalent today? Driving a Hummer?
I remember listening to a song called "Zoot Suit Riot" when I was a kid and never knowing what it was actually about or what a Zoot Suit was. I think the riot was an interesting part of L.A. history, how it started and changed the meaning of the style and cultural aspect. I never knew it was about the Latino culture. To me it seems like this was one of the first waves of cultural attacks by citizens and the government. (Soon after this L.A., experiences the Watts Riots in 1992.)
ReplyDeleteI also posted about Zoot Suit Riot's fashion. Becuase I mainly focused on their style I had a little chance to research about their history. Reading your post helped me a lot to know more about their history and characters. After all, I was able to know better about my research. I think that Zoot Suit Riots had a lot of influence in Mexicans-Americans these days. I was wondering what you think about the Zoot Suit Riots' influences in present days.
ReplyDeleteVERY interesting! I heard of the Zoot suit but never knew the meaning of it. When i thought of 1940-1960 i would of thought the most guys would dress like Henry Winkler "Fonzie" from happy days. The rebel kind of look with leather jacket, jeans and a white shirt. Kind of like what James Dean and Marlon Brando characters took. Or a well dressed, epitomized, elegance and charming looks like the costumes you see in Mad men. The look that Cary Grant, or even Frank Santara pulled off during those years. But after reading your post I finally get what Zoot suit was all about and I can now tie it into the 1940 to the 1960 and look at it as a different type of fashion. Just like today where we see many different looks and zoot suit falls into the similar category as baggy jeans and extra large shirts we see today.
ReplyDeleteHey Mike,
ReplyDeleteI'm curious that what are your thoughts if you did exist back in the 40s with Zoot suits? I don't mean any disrespect. This is what I think, I know right now that I live in this moment and not in the past, why would it concern me? it has already past right? but what if it still continue through today? How Zoot suits just want to look their best, we want to look our best too and we get judged and get a beating? See how far judging has come to outfits now. Must be a scary thought.
I really enjoyed reading your post. My grandfather was a pachuco as well so I have old pictures of him dressed up like the people in your photo. I did not know how the whole pachuco= gangster thing started so I am glad you included this information. Its really unfortunate that people associated this fashion with delinquency. It shows the ignorance of people on minorities back in the day.
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