The Zoot Suit Riots

Omnigraphics' Defining Moments series was created for the express purpose of meeting the growing appetite for authoritative, useful resources on the nation's history. This series, which focuses on pivotal events that transformed the United States' political, cultural, and social landscape, will be of enduring value to anyone interested in learning more about America's past-and in understanding how these events continue to reverberate today.

The Zoot Suit Riots-like all volumes in the Defining Moments series-is arranged in three distinct sections. The Narrative Overview section provides a detailed, factual account of this "defining moment" in American history, from its earliest inception to its legacy today. The Biographies section includes valuable biographical background on leading figures involved in the era, concluding with a list of sources for further information on the individual. The Primary Sources section collects a broad range of essential and enlightening documents on the topic, from official documents to letters, memoirs, and more.

Other valuable features include a glossary of important people, places, and terms; a chronology of events; a complete bibliography; an annotated list of selected sources for future study; and a subject index.

Students using Defining Moments: The Zoot Suit Riots will find information on a wide range of topics suitable for historical research and writing reports:

Show how economic trends and events in the United States have historically influenced American attitudes toward migrant workers from Mexico and other countries.

Detail reasons why zoot suits emerged as such a popular fashion style in minority and working-class neighborhoods across America in the 1930s.

Explore the history of mass trials such as the Sleepy Lagoon trial, and the reasons why such trials have fallen out of favor since the 1940s.

Explain the historical development of-and current debates about-terms such as Chicano, Hispanic, and Latino that are used to denote people with ancestral ties to Mexico and other parts of Latin America.

Identify one major challenge facing Hispanic-American families and communities today and summarize proposed solutions to that problem.