What were the Zoot Suit Riots?

The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of violent clashes during which mobs of U.S. servicemen, off-duty police officers and civilians brawled with young Latinos and other minorities in Los Angeles.

Who sings Zoot Suit Riot?

Who sings Zoot Suit Riot?
"Zoot Suit Riot" is a song by the American ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, written by vocalist and frontman Steve Perry for the band's 1997 compilation album of the same name on Mojo Records .

Why did zoot suiters line up outside Los Angeles jail?

Zoot suiters lined up outside Los Angeles jail en route to court after feud with sailors, 1943. Local papers framed the racial attacks as a vigilante response to an immigrant crime wave, and police generally restricted their arrests to the Latinos who fought back.

Why do servicemen and zoot suiters continue to wear zoot suits?

Why do servicemen and zoot suiters continue to wear zoot suits?
Servicemen and zoot suiters in Los Angeles were both immediately identifiable by their dress. Some servicemen and others in the community felt that the continued wearing of zoot suits represented the youths' public flouting of rationing regulations.
In the summer of 1943, Los Angeles erupted in a series of brawls and beatings known today as the Zoot Suit Riots. The fighting broke out between two different sides of America.

What happened to the zoot suiter in WW2?

Bettmann/Getty Images A zoot suiter, his head bandaged and his suit gone, is carried off by the police. Los Angeles. 1943. Library of Congress A wounded marine, Robert Egan, shows off the fractured skull he suffered during the fighting. Los Angeles. 1943. Los Angeles Public Library

Why are zoot suits associated with gang violence?

Why are zoot suits associated with gang violence?
The courts threw the blame on a group of Mexican youth associated with wearing zoot suits despite there being little to no evidence. In the mind of white American, Mexican teens, especially those in zoot suits, thus became linked with gang warfare. From then on, things would get violent.

What was it like to wear a zoot suit?

These zoot suits were long, baggy, and took an awful lot of fabric to make. Those who wore them saw this as hip and fashionable, but some servicemen only saw a waste of fabric during wartime, when rationing was more important than ever. To them, these zoot suits were practically treason.