Cross-Culture Rebellion

The pachucas (female zoot suiters) and flappers both fulfill a cultural trope of the 20th century– youth rebellion through fashion.  Youth in this century at different times in many different cultures felt a need to rebel against their parents’ generation and society in general.  In this way the zoot suiters and flappers were very similar.  They both wore their hair and dressed in very provocative ways, which caused a great deal of conflict as well.  The new racy clothing and hairstyles served several purposes.  For both pachucas and flappers the new style emphasized their new take on female sexuality, showing that they were more open and free to sexual acts, not as much constrained by the rigid social structures of the past.  These new styles also represented a political statement, which in each case differed a bit, but was largely the same.  It was meant to illustrate women’s strong and growing desire to become more involved politically.  The new style showed that they were fierce, strong, and willing to take charge if they were not given more chances to participate.  The author of “Crimes of Fashion,” Catherine S. Ramirez, describes the look of the pachucas as “loud” and “excessive” when viewed by members of the middle and upper class.  The new dress of the pachucas was startling for these people and to older Mexican Americans in general, as it made them worry other Americans would think all Mexican Americans would act in the same way.  This was one main difference between the pachucas and the flappers: the pachucas had their race to carry with them as well.  The flappers did not have to worry about other Americans viewing their race differently or perpetuating pre-existing racial stereotypes that might apply to them, they mostly had to focus on the gender conflicts they caused.

References: “Crimes of Fashion: The Pachuca and Chicana Style Politics” by Catherine S. Ramirez

 

 

Tension between Immigrant and Pachuco generations

How did the sexual reputation of young pachuco(as) as well as the Zoot Suit Riots affect the interrelationships between generations in families? (Escobedo 144-156)

In the article “The Pachuca Panic: Sexual and Cultural Battlegrounds in World War II Los Angeles,” by Elizabeth R. Escobedo, she discusses the social and political implications of a generation of young Mexican Americans defining themselves on their own terms during a time of unrest and xenophobia. While the majority of the United States were trying to conform to their most patriotic selves, as defined by the propaganda at the time, a small population of distressed teens and young adults in the Los Angeles area decided to make themselves extremely visible. The sexual reputation of young pachuco/as placed an immense strain on the relationships between them and their families.

At a time of rigid social structures, young Mexican Americans fought to create a their own identities; one distinct from both mainstream American and traditional Mexican cultures. By reclaiming their identities and becoming racially aware, these pachuco/as also created significant tension in their communities. “Pachuco types” were known for wearing flamboyant zoot suits, which simultaneously emphasized and obscured their masculinity. This ambiguity made many white Americans, especially men, uncomfortable. This tension ultimately culminated into the Zoot Suit Riots – sailors attacking zoot suiters in the streets of Los Angeles simply for wearing the suits and refusing to conform. Similarly, female zoot suiters were even more unintelligible to the American population. People did not know what to do with these young women who dressed in wild suits and short skirts, and refused to be apologetic for it.

Pachuco/as were targeted as deviant Mexican American individuals, whose deviance was blamed on their (generally Mexican immigrant) parents. However, pachuco/as were also frowned upon by their own communities. Mexican families viewed the pachuco aesthetic as a separation from traditional values, and disproved of the leisurely or lackadaisical attitudes displayed by pachucos. “But while parents troubled over their children’s loss of cultural ties to Mexico, the larger Los Angeles populace typically characterized pachuquismo as a distinctly Mexican identity – anything but evidence of Americanization” (146). This discrepancy in perception created significant tension between the immigrant and pachuco generations. Many Mexican families were disgraced by or ashamed of their deviant children, but over time the pachuco image became an important part of Mexican American identity, especially in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.

Mexican American Families and The Pachuca (Group #2)

Interestingly, this question could be answered in two different ways depending on which paper you read. In Escobedo’s paper, there is a clear picture drawn of Mexican American families being opposed to the Pachuca lifestyle because it is ‘too American.’ She quotes a Mexican mother as saying, “there would be ’none of this running around all night with one boy, the way those American girls up on Tenth do’” (pg.145). In this example, the Mexican families are concerned with the preservation of their own cultural norms against the tide of integration. In contrast, Ramirez seems to argue that the Mexican parents were concerned about their daughters’ Pachuca lifestyle because it had the potential to hinder their path to integration into the American middle class. When discussing the Pachuca style of dress and the high cost that accompanied it, Ramirez states that, “They appeared to privilege individual desires over the family’s survival (as well as the nation’s survival)” (pg. 12). The wartime implication of this is that the Mexican Americans would not be seen by much of the American middle class as contributing to the war effort and would therefore be viewed as not fit to be a part of the American middle class that was currently toiling for the war effort. Ramirez goes on to discuss that while the majority of first generation Mexican immigrants and their children were indeed working hard in factories for the war effort and even had sons in the service, the high visibility of Pachucas and Pachucos with their extravagant dress in public places reinforced negative Mexican stereotypes among the dominant white middle class. These two narratives do, however, seem to intersect in the fact that both display the Mexican American families as desiring separation from the white population. In Escobedo’s case, it seems that the families seek separation so as not to tinge their children with the loose morals of white Americans. However, in Ramirez’s case, the families seek separation of their kids from the white Americans so as not to tarnish their own reputation among the members of the population into which they are trying to integrate. This is a discrepancy between the narratives that I found very interesting, but it is possible that both situations were true and different Mexican American families had different reasons for opposing Pachuco culture.

 

Sources:

Escobedo, Elizabeth R. “The Pachuca Panic: Sexual and Cultural Battlegrounds in World War II Los Angeles.” Western Historical Quarterly, vol. 38, no. 2, 2007, pp. 133–156., doi:10.1093/whq/38.2.133. Pg. 145

Ramirez, Catherine 2. Crimes of Fashion: The Pachuca and Chicana Style Politics. Indiana University Press, 2002. pg.12

Image Source:

http://www.pictame.com/media/1640994843792663337_425994719

The Sexualization of Pachucas

Question 1: Pachucas and female Zoot Suiters were most known for their outright rebellion toward societal constructs. How does the sexualization and juvenile delinquency of Pachuca’s affect the attitudes that are directed toward the women and adolescents who associate themselves with this subculture? Does the wartime effort affect the way these women are portrayed in society? (Escobedo 133-144).

In “The Pachuca Panic: Sexual and Cultural Battlegrounds in World War II Los Angeles” by author Elizabeth Escobedo, she asserts the various social stigmas and behaviors against women Zoot Suiters also known as Pachuca’s.  A Pachuca is the female counterpart, often idealized as a beautiful Chicana woman in extravagant evening dress or a female version of the Zoot Suit, out with a Zoot Suit boyfriend for a night on the town (Escobedo 134).  This was a major point of contention during the war years because Zoot Suits and individuals who supported them such as the Pachuca’s were seen as unpatriotic because their outfits used a lot of fabric during a time when a rationing of supplies was in effect (Escobedo 136).  However, the wartime Pachuca embodied an essential symbolic essence on which debates about the changing social landscape of the war years occurred.

Ecscobedo stated that by, “Using style and behavior as a way to challenge ideas of respectability and to assert a distinctive identity, Pachucas defied mainstream notions of proper feminine decorum and endangered rigid, static definitions of Mexican femininity.” (134).  I believe that this rebellion against social conventions caused a lot of anger in mainstream American society for those involved in this unique subculture.

This conflict even caused riots named “The Zoot Suit Riots” which were a series of conflicts in June 1943 in Los Angeles, CA between American servicemen stationed in Southern California against Mexican American youths and other minorities who were residents of the city.  American servicemen and civilians attacked and stripped youths who wore Zoot Suits because they considered the outfits to be unpatriotic during wartime (Escobedo 140).  I believe these women were sexualized and portrayed as deviant during the wartime years because of the sentiment against them because of their minority status/unpatriotic wearing of Zoot Suits.  Many of the men of the time thought these women as objects and wanted to “claim” one because of their highly sexualized view from society.

 

Source:  Escobedo, Elizabeth. “The Pachuca Panic: Sexual and Cultural Battlegrounds in World War II Los Angeles”. Western Historical Quarterly, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Summer, 2007), pp. 133-156.

Picture 1: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/541276448949765843/

Picture 2: http://www.museumofthecity.org/project/la-pachuca-mexican-subculture-in-1940s-los-angeles/