The Zoot Suit Riots

The Zoot Suit Riots is a dramatization of the events that took place in Los Angeles during the summer of 1943. Los Angeles, a city that was a major training and transit point for military personnel, saw itself on the front lines of the war in the Pacific. However, there was a burgeoning war at home against the Mexican pachuco gangs. The Zoot Suit style was readily picked up in the young Latino and African-American communities on the East and West Coasts. From there it was adopted by swing musicians and dancers and became uniquely identified with the swing movement.