A City at War With Itself

“Zoot Suit Riots,” a new PBS “American Experience,” is the first major documentary about the 1943 riots that took place in Los Angeles, pitting young Mexican American men--then known for wearing baggy-pant zoot suits--against members of the armed forces and civilians who considered the youths not only unpatriotic, but also enemies of the country.

Tensions ran high in wartime Los Angeles. At the same time, Mexican American youths were rebelling against the tight-knit, conservative neighborhoods where they lived, adopting jazz phrases and wearing clothes inspired by African Americans. Their parents feared they would become pachucos, or punks, and many whites found the zoot-suiters a prime example of what was wrong with the city.

It was in this atmosphere that 19-year-old Hank Leyvas sought revenge in August 1942, after he and his girlfriend were beaten up. A brawl ensued at a party near a spot called the Sleepy Lagoon, and Jose Diaz, 22, was found dying. Within 48 hours, the police arrested 600 young Mexican Americans, and Leyvas and 21 others were indicted for Diaz’s murder.

At the largest mass trial in the state’s history, 17 of the 38th Street boys, as the defendants were known, were found guilty. Violence ensued between sailors and zoot-suiters in the months that followed, peaking in the bloody riots of June 1943.

The trial had been so tainted, however, that the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee--which attracted the support of Hollywood--successfully appealed the case, and Leyvas and his friends were released in October 1944. Leyvas died in 1971, and the Diaz murder remains officially unsolved.

Filmmaker Joseph Tovares wrote and produced “Zoot Suit Riots,” which is narrated by Hector Elizondo. Tovares recently discussed the documentary.

Question: This is the first major documentary on the zoot suit riots. Why has it taken so long?

Answer: First, remember, in terms of documentaries, serious documentaries, there is very little having to do with Latinos to begin with. I think it is a very difficult story. It is a very complicated story, and it’s a very difficult story for people in L.A. I think a lot of people would just as soon forget about it.

One of the reasons you’ll notice from the film is that there are virtually no images of the riot. It’s a very difficult task with not a lot of resources to really pull if off. You need money to conduct the research and come up not with just some images you can use but really track down the participants. It took an enormous effort to find some of these folks who are on camera, especially the sailors, and find an image of Jose Diaz. The murder victim was essentially forgotten, lost. There was no picture of him.

Q: How did you acquire a photo of Diaz?

A: It was good, old-fashioned research--almost detective work--and some luck.

Q: Do you think the zoot suit riots would have occurred if the United States was not at war?

A: I think it would have been very different. I think it was a very unique time in L.A. history. You had the war putting a lot of stress on the community. And in one way, because a lot of men were gone to fight the war, the economy created by the war had created all of these jobs, so you had all of these people of color coming in. L.A. really saw itself on the front line of the war with Japan. People in L.A. were expecting an attack any time. So there was this incredible apprehension, and people were looking for an enemy.

The year before, the Japanese had been taken away, and they needed another enemy. The fear of immigration probably increased in wartime, and we have always had a problem with assertive young people of color. How do we deal with them? People are supposed to know their place, especially in 1942 and ‘43, and these kids weren’t going to accept it.

Q: You state in the documentary that most of the Sleepy Lagoon defendants ended up back in prison.

A: I don’t know if all, but most were in and out of prison. There was a lot of drug use. It is not a good story. It really marked them for life. You have to remember also--and we have to be honest here--some of these guys were pretty tough guys going in. Hank Leyvas--there is a line we cut out because of time--but someone said that Hank was respected but feared. They were not altar boys. They were tough guys, but this experience really made it worse.

Q: Hank died in an East L.A. bar in 1971. What did he die of?

A: The family says that he had a heart attack in a phone booth inside a bar, but rumor has it that he did of a heroin overdose. Hank did not do well.

“American Experience: Zoot Suit Riots” airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on KCET and KVCR. The network has rated it TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children).