Zoot Suit Riots: Sailors Attack Black and Latino Youth in Los Angeles

Over ten days beginning June 3, 1943, U.S. Navy and Marine servicemen roam Los Angeles attacking Mexican American and Black youth wearing zoot suits. Mobs strip and beat victims on streetcars and in theaters. Police largely arrest the victims rather than perpetrators. The Los Angeles press celebrates the attacks. At least 150 people are injured. The riots reveal how racial minorities faced violence from both civilian racists and uniformed military personnel.