Zoot Suit Riots

The Zoot Suit Riots ( v. Engl. Riot riot, riot, suit suit) were a series of riots in Los Angeles, USA in 1943.

They inflamed during the Second World War between stationed in the city soldiers and Mexican-American youth gangs, led by so-called Pachucos, who were well known because of the zoot suits they wore.

History

On 3 June 1943, a group of soldiers complained that they had been attacked during their shore leave of a Pachuco gang. In response, gathered soldiers and went into the city and to East LA, the center of the Mexican-born population. After their arrival, they attacked all the men in zoot suits they encountered on the way through these neighborhoods and tore many of you, the suits from the body in order then to burn on the open road. The police arrested the battered Mexican-Americans in several cases, for disturbing the peace.

Several hundred Pachucos and nine soldiers were imprisoned as a result of the riots that took place during the following days. Of the nine arrested eight soldiers were dismissed without penalty - one of them had to pay a small fine. The Mexican-Americans fared worse, some died while in custody since their injuries were not treated, other were convicted of crimes that could not be clearly demonstrated.

Follow

Finally, the government intervened on June 7 and stated that Los Angeles had been closed with immediate effect for all military personnel.

In response to the riots Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in her weekly column about the problems faced by the Mexican- American community because of racism in the United States.

Cultural processing

There was a work based on the riots theater play, which was filmed in 1981. In addition, Thomas Sanchez wrote a detective novel entitled The Zoot Suit Murders, who used the controversy as background events. A swing album Zoot Suit Riot with a same title was published in 1997 by the American band Cherry Poppin 'Daddies.