Effects Of The Zoot Suit Riots

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The zoot-suit and style warfare

The zoot-suit riots started in Los Angeles when pachuco's who wore zoot suits clashed with service men. The zoot-suit wearers were largely black or Mexican youth while the servicemen were predominantly white. The restrictions act put in place due to the war at the time restricted the production of some garments, which included the zoot-suit. The suit was initially associated with petty crime and violence. After the restrictions came into effect, wearing of this suit was a violation of regulations and this created tension between the servicemen and the pachuco's.

Wearing of the zoot-suit by the pachuco's was seen as a subversive act and it resulted in a fashion riot. The suit was not only an emblem of ethnicity, used by the pachuco's to negotiate their identity but it also went against socially accepted regulations. The authorities saw this act as a degradation of social and moral values. Zoo-suit wearers were considered unpatriotic because they violated wartime regulations. Although most of the participants in the riots were male, there were incidences where women were involved. There was press coverage of female gangs within the pachuco subculture but these incidences did not receive a lot of media

The concern associated with zoot-suit wearers was exaggerated by media reports. Although the reports did not directly provoke moral panic, reporting the facts of the riots created concern and anxiety. The media presentation of the issue gave negative attention to some aspects such as the race of the zoot wearers and their inclination to crime. Moreover, they were eligible to serve but were either avoiding serving or had been exempted from