Wave Staff Report
LOS ANGELES — At its weekly meeting June 9, the county Board of Supervisors recognized the Zoot Suit Riots of 1943 by declaring June 3-8 as Zoot Suit Riots Remembrance Days.
Supervisor Hilda Solis made the motion and led the celebration marking the 83rd anniversary of the 1943 attacks that targeted Mexican American, African American and Filipino American communities across Los Angeles County.
“The Zoot Suit Riots targeted people of color in Los Angeles County who were asserting identity, culture and belonging while being pushed to the margins,” Solis said. “It reflected racism and discriminatory policing, including how individuals were singled out for their clothing and appearance.
“As we mark this anniversary, we honor those who lived through it, acknowledge the harm that was done, and reaffirm the importance of preserving this history.”
The Zoot Suit Riots erupted after years of discriminatory policing, segregation, economic inequality and anti-Mexican sentiment. Beginning on June 3, groups of U.S. servicemen moved through neighborhoods across Los Angeles County and attacked people associated with the zoot suit, a style of dress closely identified with Mexican American youth known as pachucos.
For many young people of color, the zoot suit represented identity and belonging during a period of exclusion and discrimination, Solis said.
The violence followed the 1942 Sleepy Lagoon case, in which Mexican American youths were arrested and prosecuted despite weak evidence linking them to the death of José Gallardo Díaz near what is now the city of Bell. The case deepened distrust of law enforcement and heightened tensions in Mexican American communities, Solis’ office said in a news release.
Mexican American, African American and Filipino American residents were among those targeted during the riots. Many victims were arrested instead of being protected. The violence lasted several days before military authorities restricted servicemen’s access to Los Angeles County, bringing it to an end on June 8, 1943.
Solis’ motion also recognized pachucas, young Mexican American women who challenged social norms through their style and cultural pride. Many faced heightened scrutiny and discrimination not only for their ethnicity but also for defying traditional expectations of how women should look and behave, with their nonconformity at times seen as outside accepted gender norms, she said.
The recognition ceremony came as Los Angeles County prepares to host visitors from around the world for the FIFA World Cup, highlighting the region’s cultural diversity shaped in part by immigrant communities that were once marginalized and are now central to the county’s identity.
In connection with the commemoration, Solis also recognized the Hello Stranger Foundation for its work preserving cultural memory and elevating underrepresented stories through art and storytelling.
In 2023, Solis authored a similar motion marking the 80th anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots and acknowledging the racism and civil rights violations that contributed to the violence. This year’s recognition continues efforts to preserve the history of the riots and their impact on civil rights and racial justice in Los Angeles County, she said.
