Over 84 years ago New York was the city of swing. In a realm where culture clashed with politics, race with class and gender with society most teenagers spent an ample amount of their spare time dancing to the music of Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and the likes of others. With the music, blasting in their ears and sweat dripping of their skin the youth was engulfed in a period that would come to stand as a turning point for African-Americans. Despite the rage of the music, there is no question that appearances and the right attire also played a prominent role in the culture of that time. In a society wherein which, Blacks were discriminated and stereotyped against their clothing distinguished and set them apart. The Zoot-Suit, one of the significant symbols of fashion during the era of Swing music was more than embellished get-up. It was a statement, a rebellion, a cultural identification even, but mainly it was a reminder of the social order of society that failed to express and identify certain races1. Although many have argued that racial tensions leading up to the riots emerged from the attitudes of the various races, I stand that fashion choices chosen by the youth of that period played a substantial role in the insurgence. This paper explores the history of the suit, its social and political contexts, its connection to music as well as the implications of fashion choices during the 1930’s and 1940’s.
“Walking slowly, their legs swinging from ballooned cuffs fitting snug about their ankles, their coats long and hip tight, their shoulders to broad to be those of western men the youth walked” . During the World War II period when the youth donned the zoot-suits they had come to symbolize in essence a mass ideol...
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...couldn’t breathe. They danced and wailed for the music to be played again. They danced until they were panting and stumbling of to the sidelines, until they were so exhausted that they were dripping with sweat2.
This was the influence of the zoot-suit. It caused madness and it caused joy. It made people within the African-American community forget just for one moment that they existed in a nation with oppression. It is in everyday practices and ritual such as these that the zoot-suit made history. It merged identity, ethnicity, race, society, political affiliations and music. But most of all it began a chain reaction that would have startling effects on following generations. For individuals such as Malcolm Little, the suit wasn’t a costume or an attire it was a symbol of meaning that gave the Black culture a reason to fight. A reason to rebel. A reason to be free.
Based on the infamous 1942 “Sleepy Lagoon” murder mystery and the resulting “Zoot Suit Riots” in Los Angeles , playwright Luis Valdez weaves fact and fiction to depict the fate of 22 young Mexican Americans brought to trial for a murder they did not commit.
Luis Valdez made a great contribution to Chicano theater when he created a Chicano musical a form of theater that was more common for white America. As I read Zoot Suit I could not stop wondering how the play would look once it was on stage. I could not picture a play that included singing and dancing one which does not compare to the other plays written by Luis Valdez and the Teatro Campesino. I only wish that I had been lucky enough to watch the play live. However, I do feel that if the play was to be re-enacted it would not have the same effect on it’s viewers of today as it might have then. Unfortunately I feel that might be its only downfall. I was still really amazed that this play made it to Broadway and I feel it was just as worthy of it as other plays have been. It is also very interesting to note that it was his longest running play in Los Angeles however; I am assuming that has to do with the large number of Mexican and Mexican-Americans living in LA during that time.
African Americans were among the worst treated races in the US; however, this did not stop them from fighting for the rights that so many had died for. It seemed as if black people would never be treated respectfully, but just like in comic books, there is always a hero that will fight for his people. This hero soon came to the scene and he was fierce enough to change the lives of many people. Most importantly, he broke the color barrier and created a path that would allow others to follow. However, something that was inevitable was the threats and racial remarks they had to face.
The zoot suit symbolized several different things for the Mexican American population in the Los Angeles community. Not only was it a symbol of pride in their Mexican heritage, but also a form of rebellion from the norms emplaced upon the Mexican teenagers by their parents. These suits were also a symbol of unity, these young men wanted to look different and feel as if they’re culture could be something they could display and be proud of. This whole image was seen by the modern culture of Los Angeles to be “gang” related or distasteful. These “Pachuco” or punks often spoke a hybrid of English and Spanish, this was known as “calo.” However, many of the Mexican American teenagers at the time, spoke only English. The outfit often included pants wide at the knee often 40 inches or more, a broad shouldered jacket, hat, chain wallet and shined shoes called “calcos.”
For example, Rock’n’roll stems from the miscegenation of rhythm’n’blues and hillbilly music, which all are black music genres. However, Rock’n’Roll is known as a “white” music genre because it was appropriated and repackaged to suit white artist as the American industry refused to associate with black artists. In addition, Elvis is credited as the “King of Rock and Roll” in today’s music industry. I would also be sure to cite and provide examples (real incidents or hypothetical situations) of cultural borrowing in different contexts. After all of those segments, I plan to examine how culturally appropriative Halloween costumes contribute to racism and the exotification of Indigenous people. I will also make sure to address and acknowledge some counterarguments, particularly the counterargument regarding freedom of
New fashions were surfacing in both men’s and women’s fashions. Men were wearing Bermuda pants, baggy pants that were cut off at the knee, while women were wearing capris, tight pants that cut off just below the knee. Men were wearing tailored jackets and making a slight move towards the casual dress of today’s workplace. Women were wearing natural shoulders as opposed to the heavily padded ones of the war years. Flat, neck-hugging collars replaced the mannish collars of the late 1940’s. Waists were tightly fitted and skirts were long (Melinkoff 46). The jeans of the time were often lined with plaid flanel and dungarees were worn to the most casual occasions. The sandals of the fifties were not much different than the sandals of today.
Zoot Suit is a political play designed to display the Chicano struggle against oppression and injustice. Although Zoot Suit reaches back to a historical event for Mexican-Americans, the play concerns all ethnic minorities in America. The Zoot Suit is a historical image that embodies a form of agency imbued with political power and rebellion for Chicanos and Chicanas alike. This play is counteractive to the prejudice and misrepresentation of Zoot Suiters of the time and is a tool for historical education. Not only does this play educate those who were unable to bear witness to such discrimination, but it also displays the ways in which counterculture can be powerful and make changes in society.
It started off as a plan—a captivating initiative to end segregation; to end discrimination and to cease the hatred. Unsuitable to a period where locals were accustomed to enmity and hostility towards fellow humans. Post era of where our sun-kissed ancestors were imbruted for the sake of America's trade system. Imagine the humiliation inherent with being black. Negro, Nigger, Coon, Jiggaboo were all names you sadly were accustomed to. To be treated as animals and not as the kings and queens the creator destined you to be. The sacrifice of the ebony messiah gone in vain; living in fear of the self-proclaimed superior race. Poverty or brutality: pick your poison. And it was all justifiable by law. The year 1966 forever changed the face of America. A new foundation arose for blacks to place their hope in. It embarked a revolt against the oppressors and its supporters. It was the fervid force that distressed the source. But who held responsibility for this? Who procured the prowess to bring an uprise against an unjust regime?Huey P. Newton—the nonconformist who birthed a mutiny. The man behind the mafia.The founder of The Black Panther Party.
The way these teens dressed during this time was very conservative. Due to the restrictions of World War II, "clothes were much [more] simple and less fabric was used because few materials were available” (Mathieson). Many teens during this time period were much more respectful and would not go out of their way to cause a corruption. Te...
It was 1940s, the world was on chaos due to war braking out. I was nineteen when World War II was happening. The Americans were fighting against Germany and Japan, which caused some tensions and fears among the Americans. Many young people turned their eyes toward music to get away from such tensions and fears. During 1940s, musics were “ mainly built around the jazz and big band styles” that aroused some joys and positive moods (“1940’s Music” 1). I was also one of people who enjoyed these musics and wore a type of clothing called “Zoot Suit”. During that time people considered wearing zoot suit as rebellion against the “ norms of segregation”, with exaggerated clothing worn by social minorities (“People &
African-American music is a vibrant art form that describes the difficult lives of African American people. This can be proven by examining slave music, which shows its listeners how the slaves felt when they were working, and gives us insight into the problems of slavery; the blues, which expresses the significant connection with American history, discusses what the American spirit looks like and teaches a great deal from the stories it tells; and hip-hop, which started on the streets and includes topics such as misogyny, sex, and black-on-black violence to reveal the reactions to the circumstances faced by modern African Americans. First is about the effect of slave music on American history and African American music. The slave music’s
McCutcheon, Marc. "Clothing and Fashions." The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life from Prohibition Through World War II. Cincinnati: Writer's Digest, 1995. 161-67. Print.
October 5, 2016 a group of black students goes to a Penn State Women’s Volleyball game. While at the game, during the national anthem, every black student stood and raise their fist. What was significant about the fist being raised is it symbolized “black power”. Black Power was a term introduced by former Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) leader Stokely Carmichael at a rally in Mississippi. His intent was to “end American imperialism”. However, even Carmichael himself could not have predicted what ensued after that. The Black Power Movement started to take off and many radical groups started to become.
the black power movement, the younger African Americans looked up to and lived by the words