The Zoot Suit Impact: Fashion Phenomenon to Cultural Icon, by Cassidy Gordon

On June 3, 1943, around 50 United States sailors branded makeshift weapons and descended upon downtown Los Angeles. Their goal: beat as many people in zoot suits as they possibly could. This sparked a number of riots that lasted until June 8. Many factors led to these riots, but one outfit was at the center of it all.

Swing and ‘90s Swing Revival

Every couple of decades, once-dead trends come alive again. This is witnessed around the world, and the United States is no exception. Whether it be fashion or music, parts of culture tend to cycle in and out of style.

Swing was a popular dance and genre of music. It was a form of jazz and played by “big bands” which are jazz orchestras, composed of 10-25 musicians. They include woodwind, brass and rhythm sections and often a vocalist or solo instrumentalist. By the 1950s, swing and jazz were starting to fade out of the mainstream.

The 1990s were an experimental time in music, with rising genres like grunge, ska and nu metal. In this experimental time, a genre from decades before was making a return: swing music.

No one is quite sure what sparked the comeback of swing music but many have their theories. Some think it was Generation X’s retaliation to their parent’s music, others think it was similar to ska music, which also uses horns and syncopated beats. Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, a ‘90s swing band, once started out as an experimental ska band then switched genres midway through their career.

Cherry Poppin’ Daddies have a song that skyrocketed them to stardom in 1997, called “Zoot Suit Riot.” It is fitting for a song about the zoot suit riots to be sung in the genre that was popular at the time it happened.

The Zoot Suit Riots

High waisted baggy pants, wide brimmed hats and a long coat with wide lapels defined the iconic zoot suits of the 1930s and ‘40s. Zoot suits were originally derived from “drape” suits that were popular among African Americans in Harlem in the 1930s, as a part of the Harlem Renaissance. The pants were tapered at the ankles so couples dancing wouldn’t trip over the extra fabric. Drape suits became popular among minority groups across the country in cities like Chicago and Memphis. However, by the time it came to the west, it transformed into the zoot suit. The term “zoot suit” is from jive talk – a type of slang originating from jazz – as “zoot” rhymes with “suit”. Zoot suits weren’t actually sold in stores, instead people would buy an oversized suit and alter it themselves. The people that wore zoot suits were minorities. The largest minority groups on the west coast were young Mexican and Filipino-American men. It was more than a fashion statement to many of these men—it was a part of their identity.

Wool, cotton and other types of fabric were also rationed during this time because of World War II, so many people wearing such oversized suits were seen as "unpatriotic". All of these factors culminated in the riots.

Many white Los Angelenos stereotyped the young men that wore zoot suits to be criminals, a misconception that started out because of racial tensions. However, there was some gang activity by Mexican-American men and women to maintain control of their neighborhoods. Though not everyone that wore a zoot suit was in a gang, everyone was lumped together by the white sailors that lived nearby on a military base.

On May 31, a fight broke out between a group of Mexican-American teens in zoot suits and a dozen sailors. The cause of the fight is unknown, but one sailor, Joe Dacy Coleman, was beaten and left with a broken jaw.

To avenge their fellow seaman, 50 sailors got together to create a vigilante group on June 3, brandishing crude weapons. They beat everyone in zoot suits, tearing off their clothes, leaving them bloodied and half-naked on the street. Not just zoot suiters were targeted but anyone wearing racially-identifiable clothing. LAPD officers stood by and watched as these teenagers and young adults were beaten, saying the offenders were acting in “self defense.” The officers often arrested the zoot suiters for “disturbing the peace.”

Over the next few days civilians and off-duty policemen joined the sailors in assaulting Mexican, Filipino and African-Americans in Los Angeles. The violence spread beyond downtown into neighborhoods. The media exalted the attackers, only fueling their onslaughts.

The riots subsided on June 8, when the sailors were barred from leaving their quarters by military officials. Zoot suits were banned on June 8 by the Los Angeles City Council. No one was killed during the five-day span of the riots but many were injured. An overwhelming number of Mexican-Americans were arrested compared to the white civilians and sailors.

There were other racially-motivated upheavals across the United States during this time in places like Detroit, Chicago, Harlem and Alabama. An investigation of the riots was launched by an independent citizens committee, headed by California Governor Earl Warren.

“In undertaking to deal with the cause of these outbreaks,” wrote the commission, “the existence of race prejudice cannot be ignored.”

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors officially condemned the Zoot Suit Riots on May 23, 2023, close to the 80th anniversary of the events.