Significance Of The Zoot Suit

In Harvest of Empire’s “Mexicans: Pioneers of a Different Type” Juan Gonzalez outlines how Mexican descendants contributed to U.S. prosperity and culture. Gonzalez’s assertion is that the Mexicans and their culture have been in the United States long before the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the establishment of settlements and trade along the Rio Grande by Mexican pioneers, and the important factor Mexican-American workforce had in the nation. He supports his argument using historical records, individual’s stories and local papers. Respectively, Gonzales provides information that Mexicans greatly affected the economic uprising and culture of United States across the border.

The extraordinary Mexican migration that delivered millions of immigrants to the United States over the past century is one difficult to ignore. At times the border did not exist, however in more recent times the US has created policies to curb Mexican migration into the states. The relationship the US has with it’s southern neighbor has always been a complicated one. Both countries have a relationship like no other two countries in this world, in which depending on the time period is a give and take relationship. Each group of immigrants have their own story about coming to America, but none quite like the stories of Mexican immigrants. The Bracero Program, planted the seeds of Mexican migration between 1942 and 1964. An estiminated 4 million of Mexican men were contracted to work in the United States as part of a war effort called the Bracero Program.Of the millions U.S. Mexicans, who self-identified as being of Mexican, trace their family’s arrival to the United States to a Bracero.Cheap and foreign labor has always played an important role in the development of agriculture in the United States. And for the first time, an official program for migrant farm workers was developed and Mexican ‘Braceros’ - Bracero loosely translates into “arms”- flocked to the United States in order to harvest crops. The most important concept to understand about the Bracero Program, was that these men were not seen as humans, but instead as commodities that should be

Over the past fifty or so years great strides have been made on the subject of Mexican-American civil rights, but the first pivotal moment for these civil rights barely gets any recognition in the annals of American civil rights, in which it rightly deserves. This victory, which has been labeled “The Longoria Affair”, would cause a momentum within Latino civil rights movement that was previously unseen and would lead the way for political opportunities for Latinos.

Throughout our history as a nation, we have earned a reputation of undermining the relationships we have had with minorities and of largely neglecting their needs. Our almost hostile nature towards minorities in the United States can largely be seen in the treatment of Mexicans and Mexican American citizens in the times surrounding World War Two. Such hostilities are reflected in our treatment of Mexican Americans in the late 19th after the Civil War and early 20th centuries, the Sleepy Lagoon murder responses, and the Zoot Suit riots. My primary source reveals a feeling of inferiority in the United States by the Mexican American youth due discrimination that they faced, which can be better understood by analyzing the cultural contexts.

Mexican American’s are one of the largest ethnic group in America today average of more than half of the populace; nearly reaching more than 30 million in the United States alone. Compassed by these immigrants more than half are here illegally that migrated over to the United States in search of a better living. Moreover, others are here as original citizens, or of the group that was given naturalization. Thus, taking place in deliberation of the colonial era, in the mid 1920’s, where increasingly moor Mexican’s foreigners have crossed our

Zoot suits, associated with the Mexican race, consisted of a long jacket that reached almost to the knees, pants with a “tight stuff cuff”, a “wide, flat hat, and Dutch-toe shoes” (Berger 193). These zoot suits were worn by the Mexican youth who were accused of murder on August 2, 1942. People claimed that Jose Diaz was murdered by a gang that had broken up a party at Sleepy Lagoon ranch located close to Los Angeles. However, even though the lower court did convict them of murder, two years later the district court of appeals took that decision back by stating that there was not enough good evidence and that most of that decision was made based on prejudice issues. This incident became known as the “Sleepy Lagoon Affair” and was made

García’s book can be very dense at times, providing the reader with many numbers, graphs, and statistics. Nevertheless, these statistics provide the reader with a better understanding on how El Paso was being shaped by Mexican immigrants; it also provides a new light on immigration during the nineteen and twentieth century’s in the United States. Many times Mexican immigration is overlooked, and thought of, as a recent event, when people think of nineteenth century immigration many think of the European immigration into the United States, yet García’s study shows that people were

In the United States, and especially in border states such as California, Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans have had to live with constant racism and discrimination throughout the better part of the twentieth century. Finally, after years of trying to assimilate and live up to the “American” standard, tempers finally reached their boiling point. The accumulation of pent up tension over the years between the Anglo and Mexican communities reached its limit. The end result was the Zoot Suit Riots. There are several important factors to take into consideration for the cause of the riots. It is important to understand what Zoot Suits symbolized for the youths who expressed themselves through it, the events leading up to the riots, and how ultimately, the relationship between the Anglo and Mexican and Mexican-American communities changed, tensions rose, after the riots occurred.

The Mexican American battle for civil rights has been long and difficult but alas necessary. Can you imagine living in a prejudice environment and as consequence not being able to exercise your rights as a citizen? The past notion of minorities not having the same rights as the anglo majorities is simply absurd. The injustice that Mexican Americans have experienced in the past is undeniably discriminatory. Justice and reasoning played an important part over the years in dismantling such bigotry. A few notable figures, movements, and court cases in Mexican American history that helped pave the way for obtaining civil rights include: George I. Sanchez,

Although Mexican Americans have struggled with various segregation acts and racial discrimination while adapting to the American lifestyle, many achieved the American Dream by countless job opportunities provided by America 's industrial and agricultural sectors.

The book Zoot Suit has symbolic significance for Mexican Americans and tells about the riots during World War II. The Sleepy Lagoon Murder was one step in the fight for the rights and respect of Mexican American's. This riot involved young servicemen and civilians who clashed in the streets of the city with young Mexican Americans who wore the noticeable "Zoot Suit." At their height, the riots involved several thousand men and women. In the end no one was killed and only a few were injured but even today, the Zoot Suit riots are remembered for their significance.

Based on the notorious 1942 “Sleepy Lagoon” murder mystery, which resulted in the “Zoot Suit Riots” in Los Angeles, California, playwright Luis Valdez combines fact and fiction in the play “Zoot Suit” to portray the fate of 12 young Mexican Americans that were brought to trial for a murder they did not commit. Valdez created the play; “Zoot Suit” that brought a strong symbolic significance for Mexican Americans and expresses about the riots during World War II. The play, “Zoot Suit” represents the culmination of a Chicano theater movement that integrated four theatrical forms, which are actos, mitos, corridos, and historias that designed “heighten reality” through “highly stylized” presentational methods that came from the

The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of racist attacks in June 1943 in Los Angeles, California, United States, between Mexican American youths and European American servicemen stationed in Southern California.

“Make love, not war” was a common slogan during the counter-culture in the 1960‘s. The national split between opposers and supporters of the Vietnam War, greatly contributed to the counter-culture. Hippies, as part of the counter-culture, were seen as outsiders as they were outspoken about their views and their lifestyle was perceived as rather eccentric to many Americans.15 While their drug use, dress, and radical mindset came as a shock to many, the hippie’s opposition to the Vietnam War and their deep concern made a lasting impact on society through their promotion of peace and unity as well as their drive for change.16 Manson, during his trial testimony, accuses the court of waging war in Vietnam, stating, “I don't understand you, but I

Zoot suit riots started on june 3rd 1943. At that time there was war immediately upon, zoot suits and other impractical representatives were banned.