I had heard the song “Zoot Suit Riot” by the endearingly named Cherry Poppin Daddies, whom I’d always considered kind of a cheesy shadow of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, but I had no idea there actually were Zoot Suit Riots — four days of nonstop assault on young Mexican-Americans in East L.A. by World War II servicemen (the Greatest Generation!) and local police.
Happened across this in the
Zoot Suit Riots wikipedia entry.
One of those things you never learned in your high school history class.
I’ve known about it for years. Didn’t learn about it in school though. There was a film about it in the late 70’s or early 80’s, I think. If I’m right, Edward James Olmos was in it.
Well, as a fellow Edward James, I have to appreciate that. :)