Zoot Suit Riots

Studio 360

In southern California during World War II, the extravagantly-tailored suits of young Mexican-Americans, with broad shoulders, huge lapels, narrow peg pants and wingtip shoes, clashed with the all-American austerity of the war. KCRW’s Eric Roy takes a look back at 1940s Los Angeles and the improbable flash point that became known as the Zoot Suit Riots.

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