179. Vintage Case: The Zoot Suit Riots

This week, the docs delve into the sequence of events that precipitated the tragic and disastrous "Zoot Suit" riots in Los Angeles. Despite the Zoot Suit riots receiving far less attention than deserved in the annals of the civil rights struggle in the United States, they represent a pivotal moment in both Los Angeles and national history. The docs investigate how the media exacerbated tensions by demonizing the Latino community, while also shedding light on the pervasive racism and marginalization perpetuated by industry and law enforcement through opinion pieces.

RESOURCES

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• NAACP. (1943). Statement on Zoot Suit Riots. Retrieved from [insert URL]

• Noriega, C. E. (2017). The Mexican American struggle for civil rights in Los Angeles: The Sleepy Lagoon case revisited. UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press.

• Schaller, M., & Neuberg, S. L. (2012). Danger, disease, and the nature of prejudice(s). Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 1–54.

• Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–47). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.

• Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In S. Worchel & W. G. Austin (Eds.), Psychology of intergroup relations (2nd ed., pp. 7–24). Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall.

• The Los Angeles Herald. (1940, July 13). Bias Against Mexicans in Justice System. The Los Angeles Herald, p. 3.

• The New York Times. (1943, June 8). Nationwide Impact of Zoot Suit Riots. The New York Times, p. 1.