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Zoot Suit By Luis Valdez

686 Words3 Pages

Zoot Suitted Soul Many say you can’t judge a book by the cover, but sure don’t go around saying you can’t judge a Latino by their suit. The play, Zoot Suit, was written by Luis Valdez and is about the struggle Mexican-Americans had within our country during WWII, talking about another war occurring within this nation. The ideal sense of pride in Pachugo is expressed through Henry’s encounters with certain situations and characters, from the guidance of Pachugo, and his pride ends up doing more harm than good. The Pachugo's masculinity and pride are shown through Henry’s interactions with characters and handling of serious situations. Throughout the play Pachugo and Henry have their one-on-one conversations, in the end, Henry fights and overall …show more content…

“Pachugo:Que namada, no? Is that what you want to go out and die for? Wise up. These bastard paddy cops have it for you. You’re a marked man. They think you’re the enemy. HENRY: (Refusing to accept it.) Screw them, bastard cops! Pachugo: And as soon as the Navy finds out you’re in jail again, ya estuvo, carnal. Unfit for military duty because of your record. Think about it.” (30, Zoot Suit). He keeps misguiding Henry and at times getting the best of him. “Pachugo: You’ve got to think about it, Hank. Everybody’s playing you for a sucker, Wake up, carnal!”(51, Zoot Suit). When Henry is being interrogated by the cops, Pachugo gets in his head. Stating how he can’t go to the Navy now as he planned, only why would he even want to fight alongside people that consider him the enemy? Riling up Henry, this gets him to act more guarded toward the cops after and in the end beaten since he wasn’t willing to cooperate to their rules. Henry’s pride, as a man and

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Both the popular play and film “Zoot Suit” was written and directed by Luis Valdez. Luis Valdez regarded as the father of Chicano theater in the United States. He directed this film based on a story involving the real-life events of the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial and the Zoot Suit Riots, and it was debuted in 1981. Besides that, the movie could not be successful without the actors’ acting, such as Daniel Valdez, Edward James Olmos, and Tyne Daly. Through the film, I clearly feel the discrimination between Whites and Mexican Americans.

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The Zoot Suit Riots reveal that the American society in Los Angeles during the WWII Era was racially discriminated against Mexicans/Mexican Descents because Mexicans/Mexican Descents were known to wear Zoot Suits while zoot suitors were perceived as criminals. During this time, the Zoot Suit Riots occurred causing the “Spanish-speaking community” to be in a hard situation of being excluded from society and their surroundings. Mexicans/Mexican Descents wore Zoot Suits as a trend with the thought that this would help them “fit in” with the American style. Instead, Zoot Suitors end up being viewed as a “bad” image. The sailors would go into the Mexican neighborhoods and harm any Mexican (and Zoot Suit wearers) in sight.

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At the beginning of the story, Henry is a naive young soldier who finds his worth in how others treat him. As he entered the army he “...basked in the smiles of the girls and was patted and complimented by old men, [and] he had felt growing within him the strength to do mighty deeds of arms” (6). Henry’s definition of bravery is strictly based on the praise he gets from others for his own actions. He has no sense of true courage or integrity that comes from within. After his first few battles,one in which he was forced to fight and the other in which he ran, Henry battles with his own internal demons.

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Unveiling Resistance in the play “Zoot Suit” Luis Valdez presents a compelling story of identity, discrimination, and justice in his famous play Zoot Suit, set in the lively streets of 1940s Los Angeles, where jazz music blends with racial tension. The play "Zoot Suit" delves into the challenges faced by Mexican-American youth during World War II and the Zoot Suit Riots, as they try to navigate a society riddled with discrimination and injustice. Luis Valdez, the creator of Zoot Suit, illuminates the intricacies of cultural identity, the widespread presence of injustice, and the importance of resistance in the pursuit of justice by exploring the personas of Henry Reyna, the Pachuco, and Alice, and examining the events surrounding the Zoot Suit

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