OTHER SEARCH RESULTS (1) The Autobiography of Malcolm X Chapters Three & Four At one point, feeling happy, Henry kisses her. 1923). Why? A rival group, the Downey Gang, comes into the dance hall. George introduces Henry to Alice, who tells him she's a reporter for the Daily People's World and a key member of the committee that is fighting for the 38th Street boys. How long have I known you? Couples from the 38th Street Gang dance, led by Henry Reyna with his girlfriend, Della Barrios. When the play returns to the present, we are introduced to Alice Bloomfield, a young reporter with the spirit of an activist. Zoot Suit was filmed on stage in 1981 by Universal Pictures at the Aquarius Theatre in Hollywood with segments of cinematic material interspersed, lending occasional moments of realism. When her parents ask her to choose between home and Henry, she chooses to move into Henry’s place and wait for him. The newsboy hawks the papers whose headlines move the plot along. Henry and Della enact their walk along the reservoir listening to the music of a party at the Williams ranch in the distance; Della narrates. Just contact us and get the best services that you can get. . The zoot suiters represented a small population of Mexican-Americans. Smith beats Henry with a rubber sap, causing Henry to pass out. The mitos moves the allegorical agenda of the actos into the spiritual realm. Is pachuco helpful or hurtful to Henry in his time of isolation? It is Monday, August 2, 1942. Rudy, Henry's brother, enters in a zoot suit made from Enrique's coat and Enrique protests. Meanwhile, the play’s master of ceremonies, El Pachuco, pulls everything together through his onstage narration. The prosecution twists testimony proving police misunderstandings and Henry’s heroism to win an unjust conviction. The battle had many fronts: from the courthouse to the schoolhouse, Hispanics, African Americans, and other ethnic groups educated themselves and the public on the daily injustices committed in the United States. Just before entering the Navy, he and other boys are accused of murdering a rival gangster after attending a party. She testifies that the Downey Gang went to Sleepy Lagoon and beat up Henry. What does the word "drape" mean in Luis Valdez's play Zoot Suit? These actos used masks, simple but exaggerated storylines, and minimal settings and props. 1970). El Pachuco (pah-CHEW-koh), a mythical figure, the zoot-suited spirit of the Pachucos, alienated gangs of Mexican American youth living in the Los Angeles area. Yet culture clash rages on while he fights for their release, and Rudy is attacked by twenty marines and stripped of his zoot suit. The play ends as it began: with the war over, the incarcerated scapegoats released, and police persecution renewed. Henry, at first ready to strike his father, instead embraces him, and, one by one, the whole family joins in the embrace. Valdez's play is set in the barrios, particularly in Los Angeles, California. As the United States fought Nazis abroad, it imprisoned Japanese Americans at home, denied African Americans basic human rights, and harassed Mexican Americans in Los Angeles. Lorna Dee Cervantes’s poems address the erosion of ethnic identity in transplanted families; her “Freeway 280” expresses frustration over urban renewal programs that razed Chicano neighborhoods. Henry Reyna is torn between two identities. Sergeant Smith alludes to the fact that Henry won't be able to start with the Navy tomorrow, but Edwards says he will let Henry go if Henry tells them about the gang fight last Saturday night at Sleepy Lagoon. Lt. Edwards and Sergeant Smith arrest only Mexican-Americans at the dance, automatically letting the Anglos, including the violent Marine, Swabbie, go free. Official business is communicated in English, while “street” business is communicated in the gang’s vernacular Spanish, which is not formal Spanish but “pachuco” Spanish, full of slang expressions. You can depend on us to help you out. When Smith leaves Henry on the floor, Pachuco comes towards him and tells him that the city is cracking down on Hispanic gangs. The young Chicanos sported “zoot suits,” long, baggy trousers topped with long-tailed coats and long “ducktail” hairstyles, the fashion for pachucos or teenage Mexican gang member. Edwards enters with Alice Bloomfield, a 26-year-old reporter. Copyright © 1999 - 2020 GradeSaver LLC. guarantee, check our terms and conditions related to it. 's coming after you, son, and he's going to put you and your whole gang right into the gas chamber." George begins to speak in Spanish, which surprises the boys. While Henry did not commit the murder in question, the police force does not approve of the presence of gangs in the city, especially not a Hispanic one, and they need someone to pin the crime on. Think about it," Henry decides not to. By 1978, however, the Chicano movement is in decline. Harsh words are exchanged, and at that moment, the police arrive and detain those at the dance hall. Pachucos and Pachucas dance again. She intends to get the court decision overturned, although Henry has given up hope. Back in the present, a newsboy enters yelling about the murder. Part of him is a die-hard pachuco. Similarly, Alice’s Jewish sensibilities respond to Hank’s plight, but she is alienated by his explosive anger, his commitment to Della, and her awareness of his deep-rooted prejudices against the Anglo society to which she belongs. El Pachuco sets the tone for the play, giving a poetic account of his own identity. When a minor scuffle with a rival gang interrupts his farewell celebration with his girlfriend, he bravely steps in to break up a one-sided attack. It was not until military officials declared the city of Los Angeles off limits for all military personnel that they riots diminished. Henry, filled with rage, tries to intervene, but his father holds him back, not wanting Henry to confront the police. What if I'm a Jew? Cliff Notes ™, Cliffnotes ™, and Cliff's Notes ™ are trademarks of Wiley Publishing, Inc. SparkNotes ™ and Spark Notes ™ are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. A headline cries out: ZOOT-SUITER HORDES INVADE LOS ANGELES. Judge Charles conducts a biased case, overruling justified objections by the gang’s lawyer and imposing unfair restrictions, such as not allowing the boys to cut their hair or change clothing and seating them apart from their attorney. As the main plot of the play unfolds, we see that the central narrative concerns the tension between the 38th Street Gang and the Downey Gang. A rival group, the Downey Gang, comes into the dance hall. Sergeant Smith beats Henry unconscious, and the scene shifts to Henry’s home on the Saturday night of the dance. Characterization is not important in social protest plays, since the purpose is to condemn acts committed against a people, not a person. A few Anglo sailors dance nearby, as El Pachuco sings. In 1978, to use whole lines of Spanish in a play was to address it primarily to a bilingual audience, although the non-Spanish-speaking members of the audience had little trouble understanding the context of the Spanish. If you are thinking, can How did Rudy end Henry and the Pachuccos life? With this in mind, Henry Reyna is the central character of Valdez's work. As George prepares the boys’ defense, Henry is introduced to Alice Bloomfield, a reporter. Edwards and Smith want Henry to confess to the murder of Jose Williams at Sleepy Lagoon; they believe that Henry is guilty of the crime. This defiant, existential street actor wears the colors of Testatipoka, the Aztec god of education. In Los Angeles, the Zoot Suit Riots take place between marines and zoot suiters. out to our customer service team that is available all the day. Please reflect on the intersection of the media around the historical events of Zoot Suit. When a guilty verdict is handed down despite his best efforts, George plans an appeal but is drafted into the Army before he can proceed.

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