Sixty eight years ago today, the Sailor Riots began. Another race based riot started by whites fueled by the LA Times, the police and ignorance. The US had locked up the Japanese in concentration camps, but not people of German lineage, so they needed someone else to hate on and as usual Mexicans were targeted. 
None of the sailors or members of the white mobs that joined were arrested. Mexicans and blacks were beaten, striped in the streets, arrested and women were raped.
(at 2:30 a scene about the riots begins)
This is a very clear example of how the white population would often attack communities of color based on misinformation from media, fear, lies and racism. All race riots up until the 1965 Watts riots were led by white people and targeted barrios, ghettos and other areas where people of color lived. In some cases entire towns were burned to the ground.
For more information go here.
The uprising in Watts, also known as the Watts Riots, took place in 1965.
thanks Pilar : )
FYI, “Zoot Suit,” is among the films being screened during the LA Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats series this summer. It’s scheduled to play at the historic Million Dollar Theatre on Broadway on June 22. I’ll be there and am very much looking forward to seeing the film for the first time.
I remember ditching El Sereno Jr. High School(Back when it was still a jr. High) I went to the old Edwards theatre in Alhambra to see this movie when it first came out… I can recall being angry when I seen this scene in the movie..