Tensions and hostilities existed not only on the battlefields but also on the American home front during the Second World War. Tensions between the white servicemen and minority civilians of Los Angeles boiled over in May and June 1943 and led to the infamous Zoot Suit Riots. The zoot suit, which was worn by many Mexican American and African American young men, was viewed by many white Americans and servicemen as an affront to the war effort as it ignored restrictions on the use of fabric for men’s clothes. In addition, the zoot suit had become synonymous with juvenile delinquency after the highly publicized Sleepy Lagoon Murder trial of 1942. On May 30, 1943, violence erupted between sailors and zoot-suiters when a group of sailors tried to flirt with a group of Mexican American girls. After the initial conflict, U.S. servicemen retaliated against the zoot-suiters, which led to even further escalation and violence from each group. The worst single night of violence occurred on June 7, 1943, when nearly 5,000 U.S. sailors and marines entered Los Angeles with the intent of exacting revenge on any zoot-suiters they could find. Ultimately, it took intervention from local, state, and federal law enforcement and the U.S. military to end the violence. The document that follows is a newspaper article published in the Los Angles Daily Times during the Zoot Suit Riots.
Harold Tabor, 32, Long Beach sailor, was severely beaten by a gang of zooters at 103rd and Graham Sst. He suffered a broken nose, serious facial cuts. He told officers at Georgia Sst. hospital that he had been visiting his sister, Dorothy Edmonson, 1133 East 103rd Sst.
“I was passing a poolhall en route to a grocery store when the gang hopped me, “he said.
George Lorigo, 19, was arrested on a charge of battery after Tabor’s beating. The sailor was later transferred to Long Beach naval hospital for X-ray examination.
Two soldiers and a Negro zoot suiter were taken into custody after a riot at the corner of Second and Spring Ssts. And police, cruising throughout the city in scouting forays, dispersed mobs, hunted for others. Police ordered groups of more than three to “break it up” everywhere in the downtown area, and the presence of armed officers on every street resembled martial law rule. Two officers were stationed on every corner of Main, Spring and Broadway, between First Sst. and Pico Bblvd. Two more officers were in the center of each block.
Squads of riot breakers, packed 18 in a truck, roamed the city, investigated mob reports, arrested suspects. Traffic on Main Sst. was bumper to bumper, moving as slowly as city officials trying to solve the zoot suit problem.
Navy shore patrol officers and Bagley army military police added to the martial law resemblance. They walked in and out of bars, dancehalls, drugstores, bus stations. They kept servicemen on the move, asked for proof of leaves and liberties.
One of the most serious outbreaks of terrorism occurred in Watts. There three PE trains were stoned. At least three passengers were injured by shattered glass windows. About 9 p.m. an inbound train from Newport was “shelled” by pachucos.* One person was cut seriously. A few minutes later, nearly every window of an outbound Long Beach two-car train was smashed when it was caught in a crossfire of pachuco stoning. Two were seriously cut on this car, including a navy nurse. An inbound San Pedro car barely escaped the stoning.
Gangsterism in Watts continued into the early hours of today. Twelve Negroes ambushed a 17-year-old white high school student, asked him if he was a “zoot suiter” and when he said “no” the fight started. The victim, Joe M. Steddum of 8834 Banders Sst., Watts, received a five inch cut on his left forehead, requiring six stitches at the emergency hospital, 3060 Slauson Sst., to mend.
Police took Daniel Malone into custody at Sixth and Main Ssts. when they discovered a long club hidden down his pants leg.
Servicemen continued to roam the city’s streets through all this hectic night despite the “out of bounds” order issued at 3:15 yesterday afternoon.
It came from Rear Adm. D. W. Bagley, a commandant of the 11th Naval district in San Diego, and addressed to all activities, it read:
“Until further notice, except for special occasions approved by the commanding officer, the city of Los Angeles will be out of bounds for all enlisted personnel of the naval services not attached to the stations within this city, or in travel status.
“Activities located in the city of Los Angeles will, except in special cases, grant liberty to married men or those subsisted off stations.”
Augmented police forces continued their roundup of riot suspects, meanwhile. Arrests of zoot suiters were reported in all sections of the county. Among those taken into custody were Lewis English, 23, of 844 East Fifth Sst., and Adam Vasquez, 16, address is unknown. English was charged with carrying a concealed weapon when officers found a 16 inch butcher knife in his pants. Vasquez was turned over to juvenile authorities as a riot suspect.
But zoot suit panty gangs of hoodlums continued to lose their trousers to servicemen, and in many cases nearly lost what was in ’em.
Servicemen, too, particularly sailors, reported casualties. One sailor, Donald Jackson, 20, of Santa Barbara, had just arrived here on leave when a group of reat pleaters jumped him at First and Evergreen Ssts. His head was beaten. His abdomen was severely cut. His back was viciously kicked.
Source: “Near-Martial Law in LA Riot Zones,” Los Angeles Daily News, June 9, 1943. Used by permission of The Los Angeles Daily News.
Evaluating the Evidence