Zoot Suit History
What is the iconic piece of clothing that became a symbol of rebellion and cultural pride for Mexican-American youth during the 1940s?
What is the zoot suit?
The zoot suit represented a fusion of Mexican-American culture with this musical/dance culture?
What is American jazz and swing culture?
This activist and member of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee wrote endless letters of encouragement to the boys in prison and was also in charge of funding.
Who is Alice Greenfield?
The Zoot Suit Riots primarily involved violent clashes between Mexican-American youth and this group of people.
Who are white servicemen (mostly sailors)?
The Zoot Suit Riots are often seen as an early sign of this type of racial tension in the U.S.
What is racial discrimination or race riots?
The Zoot Suit Riots occurred in this city in 1943.
What is Los Angeles?
Wearing a zoot suit was seen by some as a statement of defiance against these two societal issues.
What are racism and economic inequality?
A famous labor lawyer who took over the Sleepy Lagoon case and charged Judge Fricke with "legal misconduct" for not allowing the boys with a proper defense.
What is George Shibley.
The Zoot Suit Riots were sparked by a series of altercations between zoot suiters and these individuals, who were stationed in Los Angeles during World War II.
Who are U.S. military personnel?
The Zoot Suit Riots marked a turning point for Mexican-American political activism and this organization began to work towards a better life for citizens of their community.
What is the CSO- Community Service Organization.
This group of young Mexican-American men and women, who wore zoot suits, were often called what?
What are "zoot suiters"?
The zoot suiters’ distinctive fashion was seen as unpatriotic by some during World War II because it used this material, which was rationed during the war.
What is wool?
This is the name of the young Mexican-American man who became a symbol of the Zoot Suit Riots after being falsely accused of murder.
Who is Henry Leyva?
During the riots, the police responded to the violence by doing this to the Mexican-American men who wore zoot suits.
What is arresting them and even stripping them of their suits?
Surely, the wartime hysteria changed people's perspective of right and wrong, but it appears that this was there all along, the war and the media just helped bring these feelings to the surface.
What is racism.
In what year did the Zoot Suit Riots break out?
What is 1943?
This term refers to the cultural and generational conflict between young zoot suiters and their more traditional Mexican-American parents.
What is "cultural generation gap"?
This writer and social activist highlighted the experiences of Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles in his 1943 book Tales of the Zoot Suit and later the play, Zoot Suit.
Who is Luis Valdez?
The Zoot Suit Riots lasted for about how many days in Los Angeles?
What is four days?
After the riots, Mexican-American cultural pride gained ground, partially due to the efforts of this Mexican-American civil rights leader, who advocated for better conditions and fair treatment of farmworkers.
Who is César Chávez?
During the Zoot Suit Riots, this group of people, predominantly U.S. servicemen, clashed with Mexican-American youth.
Who are military servicemen (or sailors)?
The zoot suit was a symbol of cultural pride for Mexican-American youth, but for many non-Mexican-Americans, it was often associated with what kind of behavior?
What is criminal behavior or delinquency?
He filed a lawsuit in the federal courts against the school officials of Orange County where Westminster had maintained two separate schools for Whites & Mexicans.
Gonzalo Méndez
This specific act of violence was the catalyst that ultimately led to the eruption of the Zoot Suit Riots in 1943.
What is a reported attack of a group of sailors by Mexican-American youths?
The zoot suit symbolized the emergence of a Mexican-American identity that blended both Mexican and American cultures, known as this term.
What is Chicano identity?