'Zoot Suit' is by far the most influential play by a Chicano writer, and the only one to reach Broadway. It changed Los Angeles' historical memory and the American theater forever
'Zoot Suit' is by far the most influential play by a Chicano writer, and the only one to reach Broadway. It changed Los Angeles' historical memory and the American theater forever
Not much can be found in the public landscape that documents the Zoot Suit riots set off by the discovery of the body of José Gallardo Diaź near Sleepy Lagoon. A proposed memorial at the site of the now-paved over lagoon invites a deep reflection on the tragedy at Sleepy Lagoon, its violent aftermath and the layers of history in Southeast Los Angeles's neighborhoods.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV + Wednesday, April 20 at 9 p.m. on KPBS 2 / On Demand. Revisit the streets of wartime Los Angeles when an influx of sailors faced off with young Mexican Americans, leading to a 10-night explosion of violence that further divided the Latino and white communities. Narrated by Hector Elizondo.