Zoot Suit Riot

When I began reading the book the “the Power of the Zoot” by Luis Alvarez I was immediately reminded of a song I used to sing as a child, a song I never really understood. “Zoot Suit Riot” by the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies is the title of a song that discusses a counter-culture way of dress during World War II. The “zoot suit,” commonly worn by young members of certain minority groups was often associated with gangs, violence, and immoral behavior. As I began to interpret the lyrics to the song many of the lines began to make sense as to how people who wore the “zoot suit” were and continue to be remembered.

Chorus: (“Zoot suit riot
throw back a bottle of beer
Zoot suit riot
Pull a comb through your coal black hair.”)

The chorus of the song speaks of a riot which people in many communities feared might be started by the “zoot suiters.” Luis Alvarez argues that crime and violence were often blamed on the minorities. The local press convinced many Americans that zoot suiters and hoodlums were one in the same. During World War II some Mexican American and African American youth often dressed in “zoot suits,” thus separating them from those in society who viewed their style to be an insult. The “zoot suit” riots were sparked by the murder of Jose Diaz in 1942, a case commonly referred to as the Sleepy Lagoon Murder Case. This song uses the “zoot suit” riot as a catalyst for further celebration of this culture once deemed negative.

The lyrics discuss the lifestyle of the “zoot suiters.” Alvarez talks about the perceived lifestyle, which includes alcohol consumption, dance and appearance. The lyric “throw back a bottle of beer” demonstrates the casual nature of drinking which many people believed helped to define a “zoot suiter.” Alcohol and sexual promiscuity were also attributed to the “zoot suit” culture as was dance. Dance halls sprung up everywhere and served as potential arenas where minorities and whites would mingle. The lyrics talk about a style of dance called the jitterbug. The jitterbug and lindy hop were dances often attributed to the “zoot suit” culture.

Malcom X in discussing his views of “zoot suit” fashion spoke about hairstyles as being crucial to the complete look. The conk hairstyle was a way for men with curly hair to chemically straighten their hair. Alvarez makes the argument many times over, that although “zoot suiters” rebelled against the norms, they also fully participated and supported the economy of wartime America.

The song talks about coal black hair and brown eyes which implies that the “zoot suiters” were of a common descent. Alvarez focuses on African American and Mexican American youth in Los Angeles and New York City although he acknowledges that this culture existed in many other cities as well. The concern over appearance as expressed in the song was a criticism of the “zoot suiter.” Many critics labeled the “zoot suiters” as being overtly feminine. The “zoot suiter,” by virtue of his or her attire, was seen as a threat to masculinity, white culture, and society in general.

Interestingly, the song parodies two sailors on leave who come to dance, then realize that their women are more attracted to the “zoot suit” style as compared to that of the traditional man in uniform. The style was not just the dress but the dance, slang, and attitude as well. The lyrics continue to describe the obvious and resulting tension which arises between military men and those in “zoot suits.” Much of wartime society, perhaps more in sympathy with the uniform rather than the “zoot suit,” came to denigrate the “zoot suiters” as being unpatriotic in that they seemed to diverge from other, more conventional youth.

The fact that the “zoot suit” is a subject of a modern and widely popular song, establishes the fact that the “zoot suiters” were an integral part of popular culture. The big band song and its influence serves as a rallying cry for people who are drawn to “zoot culture.” The success of “Zoot Suit Riot” proves that a great many people have been and continue to be enamored with zoot culture.