From Mexico City to Los Angeles, Pachuco left an indelible mark on American popular culture, but Zoot Suits and lowriders are only the beginning of Pachuco culture.
Zoot suits and lowriding cars, gold chains and cross tattoos, swinging music and sharp-brimmed fedoras—these trademarks only scratch the surface of the vast, diverse and endlessly colorful culture known as Pachuco. It formed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century near the U.S.-Mexico border among Mexican and Mexican-American youth who rebelled against the racism they received from mainstream white society. Forged in the fires of geographic dislocation and racial enmity, Pachuco attests to an entire generation’s ability to survive and thrive while leaving an indelible mark on American culture.
A blue zoot suit. ANGELOUX. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Zoot Suits are by far the most famous symbol of Pachuco culture. Their oversized proportions seemed to satirize fashion norms of the time. These draping suit coats fell well below the waist, and their baggy pants ended in a tightly hemmed ankle. A gold chain or fedora often completed the look. Originally donned by jazz musicians like Cab Calloway, the style quickly spread among Mexican-, Italian- and African-Americans, among many other groups. The suits became an identifiable trait of Pachuco youths, making them the center of attention even when walking down the sidewalk.
However, the unique look also singled out Pachucos as targets of racial discrimination. Widely viewed as juvenile delinquents and petty criminals, they earned the reputation of unpatriotic ne'er-do-wells. Many smoked marijuana when it was heavily criminalized. Newspaper headlines like “Marijuana Orgies Before Terror Sorties Bared in Gang Roundup” and “Black Widow Girls in Boy Gangs; War on Vandals Pushed” created a skewed, prejudiced image of Pachucos in the public eye. Pachuco slang—a mix of English, Spanish and a Romani dialect called Caló—allowed youths to talk without passers-by understanding them, which often drew suspicion.
Two men brutalized during the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots. WolfSilverOak. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Racial prejudice exploded into violence during World War II . In early June 1943, the Zoot Suit Riots came to represent one of the most shameful moments in Los Angeles’ history. Zoot Suits drew controversy during World War II because their abundant, flowing fabrics seemed to eschew the rationing of wool for the war effort. Fifty American sailors initiated the violence. They lurked in the streets of L.A., searching for Zoot Suiters. When they found an unsuspecting Pachuco, they attacked him and tore off his Zoot Suit, leaving him naked in the street. The violence continued for five days, with other military men and civilians joining the fray. It stopped only when the army ordered soldiers to remain in their barracks at all times. By that point, however, the message was clear: Pachucos were not viewed as fully American.
That much was clear even before the riots. In the 1930’s, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans faced “repatriation” efforts that were essentially forced deportation. Amid the economic ruin of the Great Depression, local officials in California prioritized white Americans when creating jobs, so they began to argue that Mexican-Americans, even those born and raised in the United States, would live fuller lives in their “home” country. Threatened with job loss and revoked unemployment benefits, between 500,000 and 2 million were deported or left the country under these measures. Roughly 60% were American citizens.
Old-fashioned lowriders. Telstar Logistics. CC BY-NC 2.0.
Pachucos adapted to their new culture as a response. Jumping across both sides of the national border, Pachuco culture came to embrace the styles, colloquialisms and music of specific locales, leading to a widening gulf between, for example , Pachucos in L.A. and those in Tijuana, Mexico. Still, Pachucos united under the banner of one culture as styles evolved and changed.
By the 1950’s, however, Pachuco largely fell out of style. Like skater culture or punk rock, many of its adherents grew out of the style as they aged. Nevertheless, its impact on popular culture remains large. At the annual Zoot Suit Riot Cruise, Pachucos bring their classic cars, many of them lowriders, and dress in Zoot Suits to remember the riot and honor Pachuco culture. Interest in the cruise, and in Pachuco, seems only to be growing. Only three cars attended the first cruise in 2018. The next year, they had over a hundred cars cruising the streets of Los Angeles in classic Pachuco style.
Michael McCarthy
Michael is an undergraduate student at Haverford College, dodging the pandemic by taking a gap year. He writes in a variety of genres, and his time in high school debate renders political writing an inevitable fascination. Writing at Catalyst and the Bi-Co News, a student-run newspaper, provides an outlet for this passion. In the future, he intends to keep writing in mediums both informative and creative.