The Zoot-Suit Riots: The Psychology of Symbolic Annihilation (CMAS Mexican American Monographs)
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Book Overview
Los Angeles, the summer of 1943. For ten days in June, Anglo servicemen and civilians clashed in the streets of the city with young Mexican Americans whose fingertip coats and pegged, draped trousers announced their rebellion. At their height, the riots involved several thousand men and women, fighting with fists, rocks, sticks, and sometimes knives. In the end none were killed, few were seriously injured, and property damage was slight and yet, even today, the zoot-suit riots are remembered and hold emotional and symbolic significance for Mexican Americans and Anglos alike. The causes of the rioting were complex, as Maz?n demonstrates in this illuminating analysis of their psychodynamics. Based in part on previously undisclosed FBI and military records, this engrossing study goes beyond sensational headlines and biased memories to provide an understanding of the zoot-suit riots in the context of both Mexican American and Anglo social history.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0292798032
ISBN13:9780292798038
Release Date:December 1984
Publisher:University of Texas Press
Length:179 Pages
Weight:0.54 lbs.
Dimensions:0.5" x 5.6" x 8.5"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
Zoot-Suit Riots
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
The Zoot-Suit Riots is a well written and scholarly book about some racial disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles in 1943. These "riots" were not actual riots at all, but conflicts between angry sailors and Latinos. No one was killed or seriously injured in these conflicts, and there was little property damage except for some torn up suits and shaved heads.The author, Mauricio Mazon, gives good documentation and reports from sources on both sides of the clashes. The newspapers of the time get low grades for their efforts at reporting the fighting. Indeed, Mazon blames them in part for actually stirring up trouble in order to get a good story. High government officials fared no better. They were worried about causing a mutiny and undermining morale and unfairly blamed the Mexicans.I would recommend the book to all history buffs interested in World War II. This book shows another side to what some people call "The Greatest Generation."My only criticism of the book is the lack of good photographs of these conflicts. There are, however, several pages of cartoons drawn by Al Capp which make fun of the zoot suit fad.
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