California 2023-2024 Regular Session

California Assembly Bill ACR84 Compare Versions

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1	1	CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20232024 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 84Introduced by Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo(Principal coauthor: Senator Durazo)May 22, 2023 Relative to the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTACR 84, as introduced, Wendy Carrillo. The 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots.This measure would commemorate June 2023 as the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill TextWHEREAS, June 2023 marks the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots; andWHEREAS, The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of conflicts that occurred in June 1943 in the City of Los Angeles between United States servicemen and Mexican American youths, the latter of whom wore outfits called zoot suits; andWHEREAS, The zoot suit consisted of a broad-shouldered drape jacket, balloon-leg trousers, and, sometimes, a flamboyant hat; and WHEREAS, Mexican and Mexican American youths who wore these outfits were called zoot-suiters; andWHEREAS, These individuals referred to themselves as pachucos, a name linked to the Mexican American generations rebellion against both the Mexican and American cultures; and WHEREAS, Pressures related to the United States involvement in World War II contributed to the racial tensions that preceded the riots; andWHEREAS, Workers were needed in the agricultural and service sectors of the United States to fill the jobs vacated by those who were serving in the military; andWHEREAS, An agreement was reached with Mexico whereby temporary workers from Mexico were brought into the United States; andWHEREAS, This influx of Mexican workers was not particularly welcomed by White Americans; andWHEREAS, As part of the war effort, by March 1942, the United States had begun rationing various resources; andWHEREAS, Restrictions on wool had a direct effect on the manufacture of wool suits and other clothing; and WHEREAS, There were regulations prohibiting the manufacturing of zoot suits, but a network of bootleg tailors continued to manufacture them; andWHEREAS, This exacerbated racial tensions, as Mexican American youths wearing the zoot suits were seen as un-American because they were deliberately ignoring the rationing regulations; andWHEREAS, The Zoot Suit Riots are commonly associated with the Sleepy Lagoon murder, which occurred in August 1942; andWHEREAS, The Sleepy Lagoon, as it was nicknamed, was one of the larger reservoirs outside the City of Los Angeles; andWHEREAS, On the night of August 1, 1942, zoot-suiters were involved in a fight at a party near the Sleepy Lagoon; andWHEREAS, The next morning, one of the partygoers, Jos Daz, was dead; andWHEREAS, There was public outcry against the zoot-suiters, fueled by local tabloids; andWHEREAS, Citing concerns about juvenile delinquency, California Governor Culbert Olson used Dazs death as the impetus for a roundup by the Los Angeles Police Department of more than 600 young men and women, most of whom were Mexican American; andWHEREAS, Several of the zoot-suiters who were arrested were tried and, in January 1943, convicted of murder; andWHEREAS, However, many people denounced the circus atmosphere of the trial and attacked the verdict as a miscarriage of justice; andWHEREAS, The convictions of the Mexican American youths were later reversed on appeal in October 1944; andWHEREAS, During the period from 1942 through 1943, the news media continued to portray the zoot-suiters as dangerous gang members who were capable of murder; andWHEREAS, On the basis of the news reports, more and more people began to believe that the Mexican American youths, particularly the zoot-suiters, were predisposed to committing crime; andWHEREAS, It was in this racially charged atmosphere that the conflict between predominantly White servicemen stationed in southern California and Mexican American youths in the area began; andWHEREAS, Incidents initially took the form of minor altercations, but later escalated; andWHEREAS, Within months of the Sleepy Lagoon convictions, the City of Los Angeles erupted in what are commonly referred to as the Zoot Suit Riots; andWHEREAS, The riots began on June 3, 1943, after a group of sailors stated that they had been attacked by a group of Mexican American zoot-suiters; andWHEREAS, As a result, on June 4, a number of uniformed sailors chartered cabs and proceeded to the Mexican American community, seeking out the zoot-suiters; andWHEREAS, What occurred that evening and in the following days was a series of conflicts primarily between servicemen and zoot-suiters; andWHEREAS, Many zoot-suiters were beaten by servicemen and stripped of their zoot suits on the spot; andWHEREAS, The servicemen sometimes urinated on the zoot suits or burned them in the streets; andWHEREAS, One local paper printed an article describing how to de-zoot a zoot-suiter, including directions that the zoot suits should be burned; andWHEREAS, The servicemen were also portrayed in local news publications as heroes fighting against what was referred to as a Mexican crime wave; andWHEREAS, The worst of the rioting occurred on the night of June 7, when thousands of servicemen and citizens prowled the streets of the downtown City of Los Angeles, attacking zoot-suiters as well as members of minority groups who were not wearing zoot suits; andWHEREAS, In response to these confrontations, police arrested hundreds of Mexican American youths, many of whom had already been attacked by servicemen; andWHEREAS, There were also reports of Mexican American youths requesting to be arrested and locked up in order to protect themselves from the servicemen in the streets; andWHEREAS, In contrast, very few sailors and soldiers were arrested during the riots; andWHEREAS, Shortly after midnight on June 8, military officials declared the City of Los Angeles off-limits to all military personnel; andWHEREAS, Deciding that the local police were completely unable or unwilling to handle the situation, officials ordered military police to patrol parts of the city and arrest disorderly military personnel; this, coupled with the ban, served to greatly deter the servicemens riotous actions; andWHEREAS, The next day, the Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution that banned the wearing of zoot suits on the City of Los Angeles streets; andWHEREAS, The number of attacks dwindled, and the rioting had largely ended by June 10; andWHEREAS, In the following weeks, however, similar disturbances occurred in other states; andWHEREAS, Remarkably, no one was killed during the riots, although many people were injured; andWHEREAS, The fact that considerably more Mexican Americans than servicemen were arrested, upward of 600 of the former, according to some estimates, fueled criticism of the Los Angeles Police Departments response to the riots from some quarters; andWHEREAS, As the riots died down, California Governor Earl Warren ordered the creation of a citizens committee to investigate and determine the cause of the Zoot Suit Riots; and WHEREAS, The committees report indicated that there were several factors involved, but that racism was the central cause of the riots and that it was exacerbated by the response of the Los Angeles Police Department, as well as by biased and inflammatory media coverage; and WHEREAS, The City of Los Angeles Mayor Fletcher Bowron, concerned about the riots negative impact on the citys image, issued his own conclusion, stating that racial prejudice was not a factor and that the riots were caused by juvenile delinquents; andWHEREAS, The Zoot Suit Riots is an important part of Los Angeles and California history and it is critical that we mark the 80th anniversary of this event appropriately; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby commemorates June 2023 as the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots; and be it furtherResolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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3	3	CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20232024 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 84Introduced by Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo(Principal coauthor: Senator Durazo)May 22, 2023 Relative to the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTACR 84, as introduced, Wendy Carrillo. The 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots.This measure would commemorate June 2023 as the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO
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9	9	CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20232024 REGULAR SESSION
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11	11	Assembly Concurrent Resolution
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13	13	No. 84
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15	15	Introduced by Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo(Principal coauthor: Senator Durazo)May 22, 2023
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17	17	Introduced by Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo(Principal coauthor: Senator Durazo)
18	18	May 22, 2023
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20	20	Relative to the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots.
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22	22	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
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24	24	## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
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26	26	ACR 84, as introduced, Wendy Carrillo. The 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots.
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28	28	This measure would commemorate June 2023 as the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots.
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30	30	This measure would commemorate June 2023 as the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots.
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32	32	## Digest Key
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34	34	## Bill Text
35	35
36	36	WHEREAS, June 2023 marks the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots; and
37	37
38	38	WHEREAS, The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of conflicts that occurred in June 1943 in the City of Los Angeles between United States servicemen and Mexican American youths, the latter of whom wore outfits called zoot suits; and
39	39
40	40	WHEREAS, The zoot suit consisted of a broad-shouldered drape jacket, balloon-leg trousers, and, sometimes, a flamboyant hat; and
41	41
42	42	WHEREAS, Mexican and Mexican American youths who wore these outfits were called zoot-suiters; and
43	43
44	44	WHEREAS, These individuals referred to themselves as pachucos, a name linked to the Mexican American generations rebellion against both the Mexican and American cultures; and
45	45
46	46	WHEREAS, Pressures related to the United States involvement in World War II contributed to the racial tensions that preceded the riots; and
47	47
48	48	WHEREAS, Workers were needed in the agricultural and service sectors of the United States to fill the jobs vacated by those who were serving in the military; and
49	49
50	50	WHEREAS, An agreement was reached with Mexico whereby temporary workers from Mexico were brought into the United States; and
51	51
52	52	WHEREAS, This influx of Mexican workers was not particularly welcomed by White Americans; and
53	53
54	54	WHEREAS, As part of the war effort, by March 1942, the United States had begun rationing various resources; and
55	55
56	56	WHEREAS, Restrictions on wool had a direct effect on the manufacture of wool suits and other clothing; and
57	57
58	58	WHEREAS, There were regulations prohibiting the manufacturing of zoot suits, but a network of bootleg tailors continued to manufacture them; and
59	59
60	60	WHEREAS, This exacerbated racial tensions, as Mexican American youths wearing the zoot suits were seen as un-American because they were deliberately ignoring the rationing regulations; and
61	61
62	62	WHEREAS, The Zoot Suit Riots are commonly associated with the Sleepy Lagoon murder, which occurred in August 1942; and
63	63
64	64	WHEREAS, The Sleepy Lagoon, as it was nicknamed, was one of the larger reservoirs outside the City of Los Angeles; and
65	65
66	66	WHEREAS, On the night of August 1, 1942, zoot-suiters were involved in a fight at a party near the Sleepy Lagoon; and
67	67
68	68	WHEREAS, The next morning, one of the partygoers, Jos Daz, was dead; and
69	69
70	70	WHEREAS, There was public outcry against the zoot-suiters, fueled by local tabloids; and
71	71
72	72	WHEREAS, Citing concerns about juvenile delinquency, California Governor Culbert Olson used Dazs death as the impetus for a roundup by the Los Angeles Police Department of more than 600 young men and women, most of whom were Mexican American; and
73	73
74	74	WHEREAS, Several of the zoot-suiters who were arrested were tried and, in January 1943, convicted of murder; and
75	75
76	76	WHEREAS, However, many people denounced the circus atmosphere of the trial and attacked the verdict as a miscarriage of justice; and
77	77
78	78	WHEREAS, The convictions of the Mexican American youths were later reversed on appeal in October 1944; and
79	79
80	80	WHEREAS, During the period from 1942 through 1943, the news media continued to portray the zoot-suiters as dangerous gang members who were capable of murder; and
81	81
82	82	WHEREAS, On the basis of the news reports, more and more people began to believe that the Mexican American youths, particularly the zoot-suiters, were predisposed to committing crime; and
83	83
84	84	WHEREAS, It was in this racially charged atmosphere that the conflict between predominantly White servicemen stationed in southern California and Mexican American youths in the area began; and
85	85
86	86	WHEREAS, Incidents initially took the form of minor altercations, but later escalated; and
87	87
88	88	WHEREAS, Within months of the Sleepy Lagoon convictions, the City of Los Angeles erupted in what are commonly referred to as the Zoot Suit Riots; and
89	89
90	90	WHEREAS, The riots began on June 3, 1943, after a group of sailors stated that they had been attacked by a group of Mexican American zoot-suiters; and
91	91
92	92	WHEREAS, As a result, on June 4, a number of uniformed sailors chartered cabs and proceeded to the Mexican American community, seeking out the zoot-suiters; and
93	93
94	94	WHEREAS, What occurred that evening and in the following days was a series of conflicts primarily between servicemen and zoot-suiters; and
95	95
96	96	WHEREAS, Many zoot-suiters were beaten by servicemen and stripped of their zoot suits on the spot; and
97	97
98	98	WHEREAS, The servicemen sometimes urinated on the zoot suits or burned them in the streets; and
99	99
100	100	WHEREAS, One local paper printed an article describing how to de-zoot a zoot-suiter, including directions that the zoot suits should be burned; and
101	101
102	102	WHEREAS, The servicemen were also portrayed in local news publications as heroes fighting against what was referred to as a Mexican crime wave; and
103	103
104	104	WHEREAS, The worst of the rioting occurred on the night of June 7, when thousands of servicemen and citizens prowled the streets of the downtown City of Los Angeles, attacking zoot-suiters as well as members of minority groups who were not wearing zoot suits; and
105	105
106	106	WHEREAS, In response to these confrontations, police arrested hundreds of Mexican American youths, many of whom had already been attacked by servicemen; and
107	107
108	108	WHEREAS, There were also reports of Mexican American youths requesting to be arrested and locked up in order to protect themselves from the servicemen in the streets; and
109	109
110	110	WHEREAS, In contrast, very few sailors and soldiers were arrested during the riots; and
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112	112	WHEREAS, Shortly after midnight on June 8, military officials declared the City of Los Angeles off-limits to all military personnel; and
113	113
114	114	WHEREAS, Deciding that the local police were completely unable or unwilling to handle the situation, officials ordered military police to patrol parts of the city and arrest disorderly military personnel; this, coupled with the ban, served to greatly deter the servicemens riotous actions; and
115	115
116	116	WHEREAS, The next day, the Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution that banned the wearing of zoot suits on the City of Los Angeles streets; and
117	117
118	118	WHEREAS, The number of attacks dwindled, and the rioting had largely ended by June 10; and
119	119
120	120	WHEREAS, In the following weeks, however, similar disturbances occurred in other states; and
121	121
122	122	WHEREAS, Remarkably, no one was killed during the riots, although many people were injured; and
123	123
124	124	WHEREAS, The fact that considerably more Mexican Americans than servicemen were arrested, upward of 600 of the former, according to some estimates, fueled criticism of the Los Angeles Police Departments response to the riots from some quarters; and
125	125
126	126	WHEREAS, As the riots died down, California Governor Earl Warren ordered the creation of a citizens committee to investigate and determine the cause of the Zoot Suit Riots; and
127	127
128	128	WHEREAS, The committees report indicated that there were several factors involved, but that racism was the central cause of the riots and that it was exacerbated by the response of the Los Angeles Police Department, as well as by biased and inflammatory media coverage; and
129	129
130	130	WHEREAS, The City of Los Angeles Mayor Fletcher Bowron, concerned about the riots negative impact on the citys image, issued his own conclusion, stating that racial prejudice was not a factor and that the riots were caused by juvenile delinquents; and
131	131
132	132	WHEREAS, The Zoot Suit Riots is an important part of Los Angeles and California history and it is critical that we mark the 80th anniversary of this event appropriately; now, therefore, be it
133	133
134	134	Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby commemorates June 2023 as the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots; and be it further
135	135
136	136	Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.