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Gilluly 1 English 3
Zoot Suit and Other Plays by Luís Valdez
Discovery Guide Ms. Gilluly English 3
Gilluly 2 English 3
Objectives of the Discovery Guide
● Appreciate theatre as a tool for social justice.
● Acknowledge how theatre is used to critique, understand and interpret history.
● Gain cultural insight into Pachuco and Pachuca identity and history in the 1940s.
● Explore the history and impact of intolerance against Mexican Americans in Los Angeles
and across the United States during the 1940s.
● Understand the significance of these events to the Chicano experience in Los Angeles
and the United States.
● Open communication and learn from elders in your community who lived through this
period.
Zoot Suit: the Production
Edward James Olmos as El Pachuco and Daniel Valdez as Henry Reyna, Mark Taper Forum, 1978 . (Courtesy of Mark Taper Forum)
Zoot Suit shattered all box office records when it premiered on July 28, 1978
in Los Angeles, California. The production commissioned by the Mark Taper
Forum opened the 19781979 season and continued its run at the Aquarius
Theatre in Hollywood. It debuted as the first Chicano theatrical production on
Broadway in New York on March 25, 1979. Its theatrical success convinced
Universal Studios to convert Zoot Suit into the first Chicano written,
performed and directed feature length film in history.
Synopsis
Set in the streets of East Los Angeles, California, Zoot Suit, written by Luis Valdez, is a musical
drama that recounts events of the 1940s. The play recreates the social and political climate of the
time by weaving together big band music, choreography, storytelling, historical facts, myth and
Caló .
The production is inspired by two historical events in Los Angeles. In 1942,
members of the predominantly Mexican American East Los Angeles 38th
Street Gang were wrongly accused and convicted of murder in what became
known as the Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial . This trial was symbolic of the racial
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intolerance against Mexicans in Los Angeles. In 1943, these tensions escalated into the Zoot Suit
Riots , a violent clash between zoot suit wearing Pachucos , United States servicemen and Los Angeles
law enforcement. The play recounts these events through the eyes of a group of Mexican American
youth, between the ages of 16 and 20, who were immersed in the zoot suit culture of the 1940s in
East Los Angeles
(Left to right) Alma Martinez, Rachael Levario, Anne Betancourt, Becky Gonzalez, Laura Owens, Bel Herandez, Evelina Fernandez,
Susie Inyoue, Dyana Ortelli, Aquarius Theatre, 1979. (Courtesy Mark Taper Forum)
L.A. in the Zoot Suit Era
¡Pachuco y Pachuca Yo! El Paso, El Chuco, El Pachuco
A young woman and her companion dressed in zoot suit attire in 1944.
Pachuco and Pachuca are terms coined in the 1940s to refer to Mexican
American men and women who dressed in zoot suits or zoot suitinfluenced
attire. Though there is no definite origin of the word Pachuco, one theory claims
that the term originated in El Paso, Texas. The city of El Paso was typically
referred to as “Chuco town” or “El Chuco.” People migrating from Los Angeles to
El Paso would say they were going “pa’ El Chuco” (to Chuco town). These
migrants came to be known as Pachucos. This term moved westward to Los Angeles with the flow of
Mexican workers migrating to industrialize city centers.
¡Watcha mi tachuce!
The Bonaroo Look
To look Bonaroo was to look cool. In Los Angeles during the 1930s and 1940s, zoot suits were
mostly worn by poor and working class Mexican, African American and Jewish youth. These tailored
outfits had broad shoulders and cinched waist pants that tapered at the ankles. Suits were
accessorized by a key chain that dangled from the pocket, a felt hat and ducktail hairstyle (often
called “duck’s ass” or D.A).
Pachucas also donned zoot suits that were, more often than not, improvised men’s jackets with short
skirts, fishnet stockings or bobby socks pulled up to the calves, platform heels, saddle shoes or
huarache sandals. They piled their hair high in a pompadour style and wore heavy makeup,
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especially lipstick. Some Pachucas also chose to wear the masculine version of the zoot suit and
participate in recreational activities alongside Pachucos on street corners and dances all of which
challenged normative definitions of femininity. Breaking out of
cultural and gender norms, Pachucas asserted their own distinct
identity as Mexican American women.
In 1942, the Wartime Productions Board, as part of a national
austerity initiative, attempted to cut back on fabric consumption
by establishing regulations that limited the amount of fabric used
for suits. This deliberately targeted zoot suiters. As an act of
rebellion and cultural pride, zoot suiters defiantly chose not to
follow these requirements and obtained their suits through
bootleg tailors. Pachucos became conspicuous in their
extravagant outfits which were seen as unpatriotic. Though this
was a scandal in wartime America, it was also a symbol of pride
and resistance for Mexican American youth.
¡Pachuco y Pachuca Yo!
1. Where did the term Pachuco come from?
2. Describe the Pachuco’s style of dress? What was the Bonaroo look?
3. Describe the Pachuca’s style of dress?
4. Why were Pachucos considered unpatriotic?
Reflection Log
First Entry ¡Pachuco y Pachuca Yo!
The Wartime Productions Board in 1942 attempted to cut back on fabric which directly targeted Zoot
Suiters.
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a. Describe your thoughts of what you think it would be like to wear a Zoot Suit as a young
Pachuco or Pachuca in the 1940s.
b. How did women defy traditional roles and expectations by wearing Zoot Suits?
c. Describe how clothes today define your style and who you are.
d. Think of an piece of clothing that is very popular for your age group. Write a newspaper article.
Begin with the title, “Ban on _____________ Studied by City Council.” (i.e. Ban on Baggy Low
Jeans Studied by City Council).
The Hip Style of Caló ¿Que Pues Nuez?
“La Dora” wears a zoot suit with huarache sandals, while others wear hairstyles and clothes popular
among MexicanAmerican women. (Lowrider 2, no. 6)
Caló is a hybrid language influenced by zincaló — a dialect of Spanish gypsies,
Hispanicized English, Anglicized Spanish and indigenous languages such as
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Nahuatl. Caló was popularized in the 1940s in the United States by working class Mexican American
youth. With the growing public resentment fueled by the press against zoot suit style and culture,
Caló became associated to Pachuco gang life as a language known only to its members. The use of
Caló by Mexican youth was an act of defiance and resistance. It represented the refusal of Mexican
youth to assimilate into the United States culture and signified their determination to create a
legitimate national identity as both American and Mexican.
For Pachuco and Pachuca youth Caló represented style. It was considered hip and cool to spill out
versos suaves (smooth words) to the chicas patas (young women) and eses (young men) while
cabuliando (horsing around) after school or work. Mexican youth had the unique ability to
codeswitch between standard English, Spanish, and Caló, while inventing new neologisms . For
Latinos in the United States, their use of Caló represented a style of resistance in the 1940s climate
of intense jingoism , xenophobia , and nativism . They were multilingual pioneers and creators of a
new language, identity and culture.
Anticipatory Guide: Agree/Disagree
1. Pachuco and Pachuca youth should have used Standard English and not Caló, their
language style, to avoid problems with the law.
2. Defendants have the right to wear clean clothes, bathe and cut their hair for their court
appearance.
3. Known gang members should be detained and placed in jail on suspicion of wrongdoing
until the case is solved for the protection of all citizens.
4. Final verdicts in the courtroom can be overturned with insufficient evidence, the denial of
the defendant’s right to counsel and overt bias on the part of the judge.
5. The sensationalist misrepresentation of youth and gangs is a form of “yellow journalism”
that still occurs today.
Define:
1. Jingoism
2. Neologism
3. Nativism
4. Racial profiling
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5. Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee
6. Xenophobia
7. Yellow journalism
The Hip Style of Caló
1. How would you describe Caló and where it came from?
2. What did Caló represent for Pachuco and Pachuca youth?
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PBS American Experience: Zoot Suit Riots Listen and watch the video. Pay attention, and answer the following questions.
1. What is the setting of the Sleepy Lagoon Murder and the Zoot Suit Riots (year and city)?
2. What is the history of Mexican Americans in Los Angeles?
3. Who was Clem Peoples?
4. How were the defendants treated unfairly during the trial (list at least 2 ways)?
5. Describe some of the details of the trial:
a. What was the charge?
b. What was the name of the gang being accused?
c. What individual was considered the “leader”?
d. What was the sentence?
6. What was outlawed in relation to this trial? What was the sentence for disobeying this law?
7. What event(s) started the “Zoot Suit Riots”?
8. How is the LAPD and the LA Press involved in the riots?
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9. What finally stopped the Riots?
10.The boys’ were freed from prison, but were they cleared of the murder?
11.What ultimately happened to Hank Leyvas?
PreReading
Prediction Activity
1. Write a paragraph on one of the following prompts:
○ Predict what significance these historical events may play in the struggle for equal
rights and social justice?
○ Why you think playwright Luis Valdez “reenvisioned these dark events as pinnacles of
Chicano unity, empowerment and pride”?
2. Read the Objectives of the Discovery Guide . Choose one of the objectives that is
important to you and explain one reason why you chose it.
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Anticipatory Guide : Agree/Disagree
1. Although the production of Zoot Suit shattered all box office records when it played in Los
Angeles, a Chicano play would never make it to Broadway.
2. The Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial was symbolic of the racial intolerance against Mexicans in
Los Angeles.
3. Mexican American youth who assimilated into American culture received the same
privileges and treatment as other American youth.
4. There was plenty of adequate housing for immigrants during the early 1900’s.
5. Gangs have existed in the United States since as far back as the nineteenth century.
Language Connection
Analyze/Investigate the terms or names that are important to the understanding of the text.
○ a. Caló ○ b. Chicano/Chicana
○ c. Pachuco/Pachuca
○ d. Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial
○ e. Zoot Suit
○ f. Zoot Suit Riots
○ g. Corridos
○ h. Latino/Latina
○ i. El Teatro Campesino
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Story Map
1. What is the playwright’s name?
2. Where is the play set?
3. Who are the lead characters?
4. What is the main problem presented in the play?
5. Write a list of events as they transpired in the play.
6. Write a conclusion and compare and discuss your work with the class.
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Open Mind
1. Place yourself in the mind of a central character. Consider what the character may have
been thinking in the play. Utilize drawings, symbols, words and phrases from the story.
2. The diagram should include the following:
1. a. What is he/she thinking?
2. b. What does he/she think about himself/herself?
3. c. What does he/she want, feel, etc.?
4. d. What are his/her aspirations, etc.?
Zoot Suit Main Characters
Character Role in play / importance to the murder trial
Henry Reyna
El Pachuco
Della Barrios
Alice Bloomfield
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George Shearer
The Press
Luis Valdez, The Playwright
What are some of the important accomplishments and achievements of Luis Valdez? Explain why are
these significant.
● He is acknowledged as the founder of Chicano theatre and film.
● Delano, California is his place of birth.
● His parents and family worked as migrant farm workers.
● He switched from a major in math and physics to English after
acting, directing and writing his first play at San Jose State University.
● His first fulllength play, The Shrunken Head of Pancho Villa, is
recognized as the first Chicano play ever written.
● In 1965 the Great Delano Grape Strike inspired him to found El Teatro Campesino to
support the United Farm Workers Union led by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta.
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● In 1987, he directed the critically acclaimed film, La Bamba.
● President Clinton appointed him as member of the National Endowment of the Arts.
● He was one of the first recipients of President Ronald Reagan’s Medal of the Arts in
1983.
● To this day, he continues to write and direct plays while serving as artistic director of El
Teatro Campesino.
El Teatro Campesino was one of the most important political theatre companies of
its generation. (Courtesy El Teatro Campesino Archives)
Teatro – Political Theatre Chicano Style
Teatro
Political Theatre Chicano Style
Teatro aims to expose and examine social and political perspectives within
the Chicano and Latino community. Also called political theatre, these types
of productions do more than entertain, they seek to inspire audiences to
reflect and take action against social inequalities. Distinctive characteristics
of teatro used to express the reality of Chicano and Latino life include:
Production of La Carpa de Los Rasquachi, 1978, El Teatro Campesino. (Courtesy of Alma Martínez)
● ‘Actos’ or short plays that capture themes in brief comedic sketches.
● ‘Mitos’ or myths based on Aztec and Mayan history and legends.
● Humor to satirize oppositional views and empower protagonists.
● Both Spanish and English to reach audiences in the Latino community and depict the
duality of the Latino experience in the United States.
● Music, especially the use of corridos to help tell stories
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● Dance to further illustrate the story and incorporate cultural elements of the Latino
community.
Zoot Suit is written and performed in the style of teatro. Through the integration of social and
political themes Zoot Suit examines controversial topics that affect the Mexican American community
in Los Angeles. This exploration is intended to create social, political and economic consciousness, as
well as to provide a perspective absent from mainstream historical texts and media. With this point
of view audiences are motivated to reflect and act against future injustices.
Summarize
1. Define “teatro.”
2. What are some of the distinctive characteristics of teatro? Why are these important?
3. What are the elements that classify Zoot Suit as a prime example of Teatro Chicano?
Reflection: Teatro: Political Theatre Chicano Style , “The Acto”
1. Imagine you are a playwright, what current or past events would inspire you to write an
acto (short scene) addressing social injustice?
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2. Investigate the event and write an acto with at least two characters and a narrator.
Second Entry Immigration Waves , “My Family”
1. Trace the migration of your family to the United States. Include the following:
○ a. Description of place of origin
○ b. Reasons for leaving the country
○ c. Reasons for migrating to the United States
○ d. The migration journey
○ e. Difficulties confronted
○ f. Support received
○ g. Final destination
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Prediction Activity
Look at the images below and respond to each prompt.
Image #1: Predict what you think this billboard represents? Explain your response.
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Image #2: Who are these people? What do you predict is happening in this picture?
Above Female Zoot Gang Gets Arrested
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/zoot/eng_peopleevents/e_murder.html
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Image #3: Who are these people? What do you predict is happening in this picture?
Youths charged with murder for the killing of Jose Diaz on Montebello Township Ranch
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/zoot/eng_peopleevents/p_defendants.html
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Anticipatory Guide: Agree/Disagree
1. Highly prompted by the fashion industry, the Zoot Suit influenced attire became the
fashion craze for young men and women, during the 30’s and 40’s.
2. After serving valiantly for the United States in World War II, servicemen and women of
Mexican ancestry were still denied equal access and equal rights.
3. Partner dancing was a popular form of social recreation for young people in the 1940s.
4. Artists of color popularized many new types of music, such as bebop, rhythm and blues,
and big band swing.
5. Luis Valdez was one of the first Chicano composers to write music about the Chicano
movement and Chicano life.
Compare/Contrast Matrix
Before reading the text, fill out the compare/contrast matrix on their own style of hair, clothing and
important accessories (i.e. hats, gloves, earrings).
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The Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial of 1942
4. Describe the area of Los Angeles where many Mexican youth lived and frequented.
5. What was the sequence of events that occurred on the evening of August 1, 1942?
6. Why is this trial still considered one of the “most egregious miscarriages of justice in the United
States”? Give examples and the sequence of events.
7. What was the conviction? Was it just or unjust in your opinion? Explain.
8. What was the task of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee? Who were the key players? What
did they accomplish?
The Zoot Suit Riots of 1943
9. What events led up to the Zoot Suit Riots?
10. What responsibility did the press have in the Zoot Suit Riots?
11. How were young Pachucos and Pachucas made scapegoats?
12. What role did law enforcement play in the Zoot Suit Riots?
13. Share sequences of events in the riots that represent outward forms of injustice. Do you believe
these still occur today. Explain.
14. How did yellow journalism sensationalize and misrepresent Pachuco youth?
15. What actions brought closure to the Zoot Suit Riots? Do you believe that the victims were
vindicated? Explain.
Many thanks to Janet Johns, Abriendo Caminos Migrant Education, Region XI Curriculum for the Zoot Suit Discovery Guide, 2009