History Of The Zoot Suit Riots

The Zoot Suit Riots Throughout the course of history, several riots and acts of hate towards a specific race of people have occurred for various reasons. The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of attacks in California in 1943 aimed specifically toward Mexican-Americans. The violence and xenophobia of the event led to the awakening that racism was still very active and common throughout the United States. After several incidents set the perfect stage for the Zoot Suit Riots to occur, they led to the realization that something must be done to combat the ongoing racism in the U.S.

The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of attacks directed at Mexican-American youths that lasted for 10 days. The Zoot Suit Riots began when 50 sailors

The sailors specifically targeted male Mexican-American youths wearing zoot suits in their attack (Zoot-Suit Riot). Zoot suits were a fashion statement that were popular amongst the youth and were not only a representation of working-class style but also of racial difference. The typical masculine zoot suit “usually consisted of a long coat, billowing trousers that tapered at the ankle, a long watch chain that sometimes extended from the waist to the calves, a pair of thick-soled shoes, and in some instances, a broad-rimmed hat…” (Zoot Suit Riots). The sailors stripped the clothes off of those they attacked, and even sometimes cut their hair. If one resisted being stripped, they would be beaten. The news of this first attack spread to other military stations around California and caused more military men to do the same throughout the course of the next 10 days. Sailors walked streets, burst into movie houses, and even invaded private homes, eventually attacking anyone of color. As the riots went on, military men began attacking not only Mexican-American neighborhoods but also Black neighborhoods. Youths living in these places began to

The bombing of Pearl Harbor, a Japanese attack on the U.S., happened in 1941. In fear of another attack, President Roosevelt sent all Japanese-Americans to internment camps. This caused people to “ beg[in] to fear ethnic minorities as potential secret reserves for foreign powers, and this fear extended beyond the Japanese” (Zoot Suit Riots Exemplify Ethnic Tensions in L.A.). After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, ethnic minorities in the United States began to be seen as possible enemies of the country. This built up a fear and prejudice towards any minorities living in the United States, including Mexican-Americans, which raised the likelihood of the Zoot Suit Riots to occur. Another event that caused the Zoot Suit Riots to occur was the creation of the Committee on Un-American activities in California. This was a committee established to see if foreign influences within the state were spreading communism, fascism, or Nazism. The committee began “investigating the Mexican-American community as a part of this effort. Specifically, it investigated the Sinarquistas, a fascist party that was active in Mexican politics and was believed to be active within the United States as well” (Zoot Suit Riots Exemplify Ethnic Tensions in L.A.). The Committee on Un-American Activities in California investigating specifically the Mexican-American community left people to assume that