Mexican American Immigration In The Zoot Suit
In this segment of the paper, I will be explaining how the Zoot Suit Phenomenon demonstrated the complex relationship between the Mexican American culture and the hegemonic dominant white power? The short answer is, the Zoot Suit style fostered by young Mexican American as a subculture, clashed with the power of the absolute dominance, especial in war times. As for the long answer, allow me to show you in the next paragraphs, how these two intertwined with each other, while at the same time contradict each other.
First let’s elaborate on the culture. The Zoot Suiters, as I mentioned in detail in the first segment of this paper, were concerned dangerous during war times, and were looked at by the dominant power, due to many facts, as unpatriotic criminals. This seemed inevitable, as the United States was a prominent participant in WWII, with many men serving overseas, and the U.S labor was short in supply at home. This pushed the U.S to sign a deal “The Bracero Program” with Mexico, which allowed Mexican citizens to move to the U.S as temporary workers.
This new influx of immigrants, in addition to the large Mexican American population in Los Angeles, provoked greater racial animosity, resulting in mounting racial tensions and segregation that eventually led to the riots. Those events not only brought both, civilians and service men together, in the sense of reestablishing solidarity and rethinking the national purpose, but it also, were sought as a symbolic rite that brought military personnel and non-military civilians at the expense of the Zoot Suiters.
Now that I have elaborated on the culture, let me shed light on the power aspect of the relationship.
No doubt that, the newspapers and propaganda were a huge tool to detriment the appearance of Pachucos and zoot suits. This dynamic added to the strong anti-Mexican sentiment, and led to the spread of hysteria during the war. In addition, the encouragement from the Los Angeles Police Department, as well as the presence of the servicemen in Los Angeles immediately led to the riots. Although all these factors contributed to the riots, they all fail to address the important underlying psychological stressors, which caused tension against the Pachucos’ style. Most of the white population’s views were echoed in the mass media, by calling out Mexican American teenagers, and young adults for various issues in the city, especially crime related issues. However, these accusations were actually valid, if looking at it from the context of WWII. While American service men were in the front lines of the war, fighting for our American freedom and democracy, young Mexican Americans stayed behind—even though many of them were too young to join the forces—but still, they should’ve been more supportive of the country in war time. Perhaps, by working hard, paying taxes, and displaying social solidarity would’ve went along way to help. Another way they could’ve shown respect and support, was by not using excessive fabric to make their suits, as back then, wool had been rationed, in order to make uniforms for the troops. Therefore, these Zoot Suit wearing Mexican Americans known as Pachucos, were seen as violent, criminal, and unpatriotic individuals. The riots showed a prominent factor, that power displayed through civilians and service men, as they came together as one force to face the enemy, in this case, the zoot Suiters.
To close, the relationship between culture, and power in the context of the Zoot Suit phenomenon, is far more complex than what I just highlighted in the last paragraphs. That being said, the Zoot Suit had extensive symbolic significance for Mexican Americans, it represented a chance for a change of the society that most of the population wasn’t ready for. Therefore, blaming crimes on those who varied from the norm-looks was a normal thing to do, especially by the power of the media, who may have a vehement contribution to the riots with their influence on the public beliefs.
In conclusion, the press played an essential role of power, by the exaggeration of published stories, in order to sell more papers and generate more revenue, and this seemed as the ideal way for the press’s contribution to the war. As for the Zoot Suiters, they felt that they had nothing to fight for in the war overseas. However, they felt more obliged to stay here at home, and defend their own culture, from the hegemonic dominant ideologies.
