What Is The Zoot Suit Riots Of The 1940's

The Zoot Suit Riots of the 1940’s is another marker in American society in regard to oppression of minorities based on race. The Zoot Suit Riots describes a number of racial attacks that occurred immediately after World War II, a period characterized by many migrants arriving in the country for purposes of defense efforts. The United States Marines and Sailors were against the Mexican and black youth who wore the suits as they deemed them to be unpatriotic. The zoot suit became a symbol especially of the Mexican-American community and received a negative connotation during the time period as it was mostly associated with pachucos or Mexican-American gangs. These riots spurred extreme racism and hate crimes across the United States. The Zoot Suit Riots can be analyzed through the roles of social location during that time.

Social location is the placement of individuals on a social map in

The zoot suit was unlike other suits because it carried a sense of racial determination. It was oversized, wide shouldered and was baggy–contrary to more recent types of suits which were dull and minimalistic. The fabric and colors of the suit were also overstated making those who wore the suits easy to identify. Similarly, PBS describes the zoot suit to be an underground operation because the fabric that was needed for uniforms for the war was being sold by some tailors for zoot suits. In terms of social location, Mexican-Americans and black male individuals were the main consumers and wearers of the suits. During lecture it was said that the more fabric that was used, the higher the social status of the individual in terms of wealth, income, and prestige within the community. This as well as race was the basis for many of the attacks to occur leading to the Zoot Suit