Zoot Suit Riots -
american experience

Wed, May 29 4:00 P.M. NH World (11.3)

In August 1942, the murder of a young Mexican American ignited a firestorm in Los Angeles. The tensions that had been building up for years between Mexican and white Los Angelenos boiled over. The press claimed that Mexican youth -- known as "zoot-suiters" for the clothes they wore -- were terrorizing the city with a wave of crime. Police fanned out across the city arresting 600 Mexican Americans. Seventeen "zoot-suiters" headed to a trial in which prosecutors had little evidence to present. Nonetheless, guilty verdicts were handed down to all. The tensions the trial inflamed sparked riots between servicemen and the Mexican American community that led to "zoot-suiters" being beaten and stripped of their clothes. Despite vigorous denials from city officials, a citizens' committee concluded the riots had been fueled by racial prejudice and encouraged by sensational news reporting and a discriminatory police department.

Episode Duration: 53 minutes and 18 seconds

Episode Number: 1406

All broadcast times for this episode: (show all)

Wed, May 29	4:00 P.M.	Zoot Suit Riots NH World (11.3)

About American Experience:

As television's longest-running, most-watched history series, American Experience brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that helped form this nation.

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