Hey Pachuco! It's 1943, and we're in Downtown Los Angeles! LA's population has just grown exponentially - partly with people from Mexico brought into the US specifically to address the labor shortage after all the Japanese Americans were taken into internment camps (not good!) - and partly because the US needs every young man to join the war and there are tens of thousands of 18-20 year old servicemen from a deeply segeragated American South in town. Tensions are high! The fashion among young Mexican men is the Zoot Suit - oversized jackets, big pants, and lots of flair. It makes them easy targets for racially targeted vigilante groups of servicemen to let off some steam. No white men were arrested; about 600 Mexican (and a handful of other non-white people) were arrested. Surprisingly, nobody died!
Hey Pachuco! It's 1943, and we're in Downtown Los Angeles! LA's population has just grown exponentially - partly with people from Mexico brought into the US specifically to address the labor shortage after all the Japanese Americans were taken into internment camps (not good!) - and partly because the US needs every young man to join the war and there are tens of thousands of 18-20 year old servicemen from a deeply segeragated American South in town.
Tensions are high! The fashion among young Mexican men is the Zoot Suit - oversized jackets, big pants, and lots of flair. It makes them easy targets for racially targeted vigilante groups of servicemen to let off some steam. No white men were arrested; about 600 Mexican (and a handful of other non-white people) were arrested. Surprisingly, nobody died!
Taylor: I just got back from Dallas on a work trip
>> Taylor: In the matter of the people of the State of California vs. Orenthal James Simpson, case number BA096. And so, my fellow Americans, ask not.
>> Farz: What your country can do for you. Boom. There we go. We are recording. Taylor. Hi. How are you?
>> Taylor: Good. I'm not. I'm very, very, very high stress, but I do my. We did have friends over for Thanksgiving and the. They brought me flowers, which was super nice. And they had a eucalyptus like branch in it. And the flowers are all dead, but the eucalyptus I have in it smells so f****** good in here. It's just wonderful. So I'm very grateful for that.
>> Farz: What a great little gift. And it probably doesn't die, does it?
>> Taylor: It's like getting like, I have it in water, but I think even when it dries, it still smells for a while, you know?
>> Farz: Yeah. Yeah.
>> Taylor: Just smells so good. It's so nice. So I just feel, like, a little bit calm here in my office. A little calm. I'm not very calm, but I'm like, a little calm.
>> Farz: Yeah, I can. My stuff has been as crazy as yours, but the holiday. So I just got back from Dallas, and then the. Like, two hours after I got back, my cousin came in town to visit because he was in San Antonio. So then I was hosting him, which was great. But, like, again, when people are around, you got to like, do stuff. Like, there isn't like a ton of going back into your own routine. So it's like 20 days or 10 days in Dallas. Two weeks followed by this. And after this recording is where I actually had my first, like, just breath after so much family. I'm not like you. I'm not, like, surrounded by people 24 7. So the muscle doesn't exist for me the way it does for you.
>> Taylor: That's so funny. I feel like during putting on perfume too, I'm just like, making this. If I had some say, oh, I have some liquid sage I might do later. Like during COVID when we were like, all, like, very, very remote, you know, I knew a lot of people who were single and they were like, yeah, you know, when I get offline, I'm just like, by myself. And I'm like, you're by yourself? Like, I'm like, I want to be myself so badly. I don't know what to do.
>> Farz: Do you still want to be by yourself? I mean, it's been. You haven't been by yourself in so long.
>> Taylor: I know. I. I mean, like, I did, like, with my. Some of my friends, they host, like, a women's retreat every Year and we did a couple days in Arizona in October and that was super fun. So it was like I had three nights in hotel by myself and like met with my girlfriends during the day. But like at this coming up week I have a work trip and I'll have five nights in hotel room by myself. Shut up. I'm bringing three suitcases because I'm driving in and have a 24 case of diet Coke in my trunk. Like I'm ready.
>> Farz: That's awesome. That's awesome. The hotel, the hotel on work conferences, like that is the respite. Like that is. You have to get that whole situation figured out and as comfortable as possible so you're able to be on when you're out during the day and night.
>> Taylor: Exactly, exactly. I'm hoping and planning like naps and then like changing into something else and then, then going to like a cocktail party every night. So it'll be fun. I'm just. I have stress dreams about it, but it'll be fine. I'm charming.
>> Farz: You know what it is, Taylor? You know what it is? I think it's. I think. Here's what I had to like come to gross with myself. It's the fact that you have that followed by the holiday plans where I think what it's doing to your nerves, it's just like. It's like there is no line of sight towards just like normal life. And I think that's what is. Because same thing had me when I. My Utah trip followed by the England trip followed by Mexico. I guess whatever it was, I just told myself, listen, it's going to be one and a half months of just no line of sight towards normalcy. And you just gotta accept it.
>> Taylor: Yep, that's 100% where I'm in. And then every time this year then I'm like, oh, then the whole year starts over again and we start like new sports and new this and then it's cookies and then it's the summer. Like what do. Yeah, I mean, I'm glad to be alive. It just is never ending.
>> Farz: That's a nice little capstone. So like this scream you just let out. I'm glad to be alive. Yes. I'm glad you're alive as well.
Today is Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941
Well, do you want to intro us?
>> Taylor: Yes. Hello, welcome to Doomed to Fail. We bring you historical disasters and failures, interesting stories and I'm Taylor joined by Fars.
>> Farz: And we are going to be covering an interesting Taylor story today.
>> Taylor: We are. Hey, you know what day it is?
>> Farz: Sunday.
>> Taylor: I know, but of the year of the year. No, it's December 7th.
>> Farz: It's Pearl Harbor. Yeah. Okay.
>> Taylor: Isn't that exciting?
>> Farz: Why is that? Why is that exciting?
>> Taylor: It's Pearl Harbor Day. Wait, today was December 7, 1941. Yeah.
>> Farz: The day that we're living in infamy. Yep.
>> Taylor: That's all. It's always. It's always exciting when it's Pearl Harbor Day. And I have a World War II story that I hadn't really heard in a. In really ever. So I have a World War II story to tell you. I got to this story because Florence, who is 11, was watching the Mask. When's the last time you saw the Mask? Was it recently?
>> Farz: It's been a very long time. Although one thing on my Instagram feed that popped up was Cameron Diaz's audition for the Mask. And I was like, wow, that was. I was so young. She was, yeah. I mean, she's still very pretty, but, like, I was like. I was very small. I had to be, like, 7 years old when I came out.
>> Taylor: I know. She looks. She's super young in it. Everyone is. Florence also lost her mind when she found out that Jim Carrey was also the Grinch. She was like, no way. That same guy. She goes, he's one of my favorite actors. I was like, I know.
>> Farz: Wait till you discover Ace Ventura.
>> Taylor: I know. I feel like we can maybe do that in a little bit. We also. She likes. Obviously, he's in, like, all the Sonic movies, too, and he's funny in that. Doing, like, a straight Legion carry thing. Anyway, Florence is watching the Mask, which is great, and they sing the song, hey, Pachuco, do you remember that part of the Mask?
>> Farz: No, I haven't seen it in a very long time.
>> Taylor: There's a part where he's, like, in an alley, and he, like, summons an entire band and they sing, like, a big song, and they go, the only words in the song are, hey, Pachuco. And they all back, hey, Pachuco. And there's also a song called the Zoot Suit Riot by Cherry Poppin Daddies. Have you heard that song? Yeah, they brought the same thing in the Zoot Suit Riot song, they say, zoot suit riot. Throw back a bottle of beer Zoot suit riot Pull comb through coal black hair. Because both those songs are based on a real thing that happened in 1943, which are the Zoot Suit Riots in downtown Los Angeles.
>> Farz: I did Memphis, and I'm going to.
>> Taylor: Downtown Los Angeles, so it's all coming together for me. So let me tell you. Yeah. Do you know what a Zoot suit is.
>> Farz: Yeah, they're. They're like oversized but well tailored, highly stylized suits.
>> Taylor: Yes. Like, a jacket is big, but like, it. But it fits you and, like, long almost to your knees. And then the pants are like big pants and, like, tapered at the bottom.
>> Farz: Yes.
>> Taylor: So I put together a comprehensive list of people that look good in a zoot suit. And it's final, so I'll let you know. Number one, African American jazz singers in the 1940s. They're the ones who started the trend. They look good in them.
>> Farz: I did not know that. I thought it was the Latin community that did that.
>> Taylor: But number two, Mexican Americans who got the zoot suit from the jazz community in the 1940s. They also look good. Number three, Jim Carrey's character in the Mask, when he is the mask. Not when he's. But when he is the mask, he looks good in it. And then number four is Michael Jordan, probably. And that's it.
>> Farz: I don't think Michael Jordan wears zoot suits. I think he's just has insane proportions.
>> Taylor: I think so too. But I think he has like, a little bit of like the 90s suit was like a smidge of a zoot suit.
>> Farz: Like, maybe, maybe, you know, if you look up like bodybuilders in suits, they all look like they're wearing suit suits. But I think it's because their bodies are just, like, weirdly proportioned.
>> Taylor: I feel like there's some.
Don't wear zoot suits unless you're one of four people
There's some pictures I recently. That was like the NBA draft top guys from, like, 1994. And like, just the amount of fabric in the suits was insane. You know what I mean? It was just like these huge suits, and it's hilarious. So that's it. Don't wear a zoot suit unless you're one of those four people. Or two groups. People.
>> Farz: I don't know if anybody is eagerly attempting to.
>> Taylor: I don't think so. I just wanted to, like, preemptively talk them out of it. Okay. In case anybody got any ideas.
June 1943 is tense in America because of World War II
So it's 1943, and things are tense in America because of World War II. And we are in California. It is June of 1943. Everybody is stressed out and scared and, like, tensions are, like, super high. Let me tell you why. What happens? So June 1943 are the Zoot Suit Riots in February 1942, Frank FDR, he exec with Executive Order 9066. That was the internment of Japanese Americans. So with. With that order, Japanese Americans went into internment camps because they were seen as a security threat. All those things. But then they don't have enough people to work on the fields and to do, like, agricultural things and, like, to work the jobs that the Japanese people had been working when they were allowed to live like regular Americans, which they were. So because of that, there was a. Called the Bracero program, where Mexican citizens were brought into the United States to work under contracts. So there's a huge influx of Mexicans into America during this time, specifically because the labor shortage, because the Japanese Americans are all taken away.
>> Farz: I did not know any of this.
>> Taylor: Yeah. So there's more Mexicans in Los Angeles than ever before. And, like, so really that, like. Like, there were obviously, like, California was a part of Mexico and, you know, all of those things. So there were always Mexican people here. Southern California is like, you know, know, full of missions and, like, all kinds of, like, you know, Mexican history. But there's this, like, extra boost of them in. In, like, 1942, 1943, because of this program. So, a. The Mexican Americans who were targeted in the Zoot Suit riots were called Pachucos, from the song earlier. But pachuco just means, like, flashy, rude person. Person who wears a zoot suit. It's like a nickname, you know, like.
>> Farz: It'S not like John Leguizamo, basically.
>> Taylor: Yes.
>> Farz: John Leguizamo in his, like, 20s and 30s in Romeo and Juliet. John Leguizamo, Yes. Okay.
>> Taylor: Yes. Whenever I. Whenever I. The only thing I think of when I think of that, of him in that movie is when he goes, peace. I hate the word as I hate h*** all Montagues. And the only line from Drum and Juliet. I know, but I love it anyway. Yes. That's exactly the vibe we're going for. So the trend came from African American jazz. People who are wearing those cool suits is a way to, like, you know, when things are bad. It is a way to. Fashion is often a way to express yourself, you know, like, you can. You can, like, make your clothes more colorful. You can, you know, put on an extra accessories, like things like that. That, like, can make things seem less bad because that are bad. It's 1940s America, you know.
>> Farz: Right.
>> Taylor: So it's a way to kind of stand out, kind of like a mini gangster masculine kind of thing to be able to, like, wear this, like, flashy suit. And it starts to make people nervous, you know, like, they're like, what are they. What are they doing? What are they conspiring? Why they all dress the same, you know, like, everything. Like, at my local bowling alley, it says, no gang Symbols, no motorcycle cuts. And I'm like, is that happening at the bowling alley? Like, I just don't think so.
>> Farz: Your area would not shock me if there's motorcycle games.
>> Taylor: But, like, are they hurting each other? Like, is it, like, a problem? Is it a real problem?
>> Farz: Would you want to be in a bar with a bunch of H***'s Angels?
>> Taylor: Like, I mean, like, I don't know. Like, I just feel like. I just don't feel like as big of a problem as people think it is. I actually saw a clip recently from the mayor of Baltimore. Someone asked him if someone wearing blue was a Crip. And the mayor was like, that's the stupidest question I've ever heard in my life. Like, you're allowed to wear blue. What is wrong with you? So anyway, people are nervous. They're seeing all these, like, young Mexican dudes, and they're young, like, late teens, early 20s. Mexican dudes kind of like roaming the streets together after work in their. In their cool suits, you know? So in 1942, there's a murder in LA. A young man named Jose Gallardo Diaz was found dying near a reservoir in Commerce, California, on August 2, 1942. So that's like, LA also is, like, cut with a river and reservoirs. And, like. So if you've never been there, like, the LA river is, like, literally just a. It's the thing in Greece where they have the. Like the. The car race. It just looks like that, except when it rains, it actually can turn to a raging river. We should talk about how they've ruined the actual LA river sometime, which also.
>> Farz: It never. I've never seen that thing filled with water as long as I live there.
>> Taylor: I've seen it. I've seen it because I used to drive over it to Glendale when I worked in Glendale, and there was a couple times where it was a raging f****** river because it was raining hard. Yeah, but.
It's unclear exactly how Jose died; he had blunt force trauma
But Jose is found dying and he dies some days later. They're saying they. The. The story is that he was at a party and some other guys. So everyone in the story is Mexican. A bunch of other guys came in. They were, like, mad about something else. They're just, like, infighting people, whatever. They're fighting with each other, and they got in a fight. It's unclear exactly how Jose died. He had blunt force trauma to his head. He could have been attacked, or it could have been a car accident that could have fallen out of a, like, a vehicle as it was driving. Like, so many different things could have happened, but there's no evidence for anyone who actually, like, like who actually, what person could have done it or like, exactly what happened. It's just that they found this guy, he was dying and then he died. So they rounded up 600 young Mexican men because they're like, it must be like a Mexican on Mexican crime. And LAPD yeah, LAPD and they arrested 22 men. There was no bail. They went like directly to jail. And after the trial, which was really quick, 12 of them were sent to San Quentin for second degree murder and the rest were sent to the LA County Jail. So they're all, they were all found guilty in one way or another. And then by 1944 they all got out on appeal because the case was bullshit. So, like, it. They only were. They were in jail for two years, like for the actual crime. And then afterwards there was like, really no evidence. They couldn't figure out who actually did it. And they don't even know what actually happened and they'll ever know. But that, like, helped heighten the tensions in, in la. So we have in LA that is full of a whole bunch of Mexican people who are new based because of this bill, because we need more people to work in, like, different jobs in, in America. And we have a s*** ton of servicemen because It's World War II and they are stationed at like bases around LA, on ships, at the port, in L. A, like all around. And there's like 50,000 of them that on the weekends come into the city because they're off, you know, so it's like an influx of all of these men in and they're riled up because they're like, scared shitless because they're all like 18 to 21. Mostly they come from. A lot of them come from these really, really rural places and like segregated south places. They're coming in with a bunch of like, assumptions. They're scared, their babies, you know, all of the things. And. They would see things like they'd see these Mexican dudes in their zoot suits talking to white women and they get p*****, you know, or they'd be like, oh, like this Mexican woman seduced me and stole my money. You know, when you're like, you're probably just drunk, you know what I mean? And like, stuff like that. So there's a lot of s*** talking and fighting on both sides because they're like, you know, we're different. We don't understand each other. We're trying to socialize in these same places and it's just like, not working. And the media is Saying that there's all of this Mexican youth gang terror happening, happening and there's all this zoot suit, zoot suit crime happening around the city, kind of like escalating the way that like the white servicemen are feeling about the Mexicans who are there. There is like there is crime on both sides. Like there, there are obviously cases of like the servicemen coming into the city and getting drunk and getting robbed by, by the zoot suit guys. Like that's definitely happening but it's not like it's not like this huge like youth gang terror crime rate wave that the LA Times is saying it is.
>> Farz: You know you actually literally just take race out of it and say a bunch of 18 to 20 year olds who look different are populating the same area. Like I know the fact that we think an 18 year old boy is a man, even a 20 year old boy is a man. Like it is. Yeah. Like those people's brains are only thinking about one thing.
>> Taylor: Like they live with their mom until like yesterday, you know. And then now, now they think that they're cool because they have their little Navy uniform and like yeah, that is cool. And you're probably gonna die. So like we should feel like, I'm sorry, you know, it's not good. And so, and so, so that's tapping tension, tension, tension.
On May 30, 1943, this is like the first day of the riots
We're in LA. So on May 30, 1943, this is like the first day of the riots. Here's what happens. So a group of white sailors and soldiers and like military men, they see a bunch of Mexican Americans in downtown la. I'm assuming this is like when downtown LA was relatively fine. Like it seems like the 40s must have been its time, you know.
>> Farz: Yeah, Skid row wasn't that big of a thing back then really. We talked about it before where the laws that banned. Mental institutions is what led to skid row being what it was. But that wasn't until 80s so and.
>> Taylor: A lot of like the architecture I think in downtown that is nice is 19, feels like 1940s like art deco.
>> Farz: Yeah, it's when the Cecil went up.
>> Taylor: Yeah. So I think it's like it's, it's full of hope and promise. The downtown LA of now is, is not but it used to be. So they get into a fight. Two groups to these two groups of, of of kids and a US sailor named Joe Dacey Col, he got into, got in the middle of the fight somehow and he gets knocked unconscious. And then the sailors were kind of beaten back. They say they were some of Them say they were ambushed. No one really knows. Like, was there a woman there? They're not sure. But what we do know is that Joe Dacey Coleman was injured. They got him to, like, back to the Navy hospital, and he was fine. So. But it started this idea that, like, the zoot suit guys, gang guys, are coming to attack us specifically. And it's starting to happen, you know, because, like. Because these two, like, small groups got into this fight and someone actually got, like, hurt. So people are starting to, like, spread this rumor that, like, things are getting more aggressive, that the Mexicans are going to start attacking people, like, all those things. So the riots really start a couple days later on June 3rd through 5th, 1943. So 50 sailors from the Chavez Ravine Naval Armory decide to go hunting for zoot suitors to avenge the attack on Coleman on June 3rd. So they have like, like a 1940s street gang without the snapping. Think, like west side Story dancing because they have, like, pipes and, like, bat. Baseball bats. And they're just, like, going out, like, ready to, like anybody who's wearing a zoot suit. Specifically, they want to fight. Yeah.
>> Farz: We'll say this is a little bit cuter than our modern times when everybody just pulls out a gun, starts shooting you.
>> Taylor: I do very much imagine them singing, but I don't feel like they want that. But you know what I mean, they probably weren't. They probably weren't. But, like, you know, so also. Also, everyone in the story in my mind is like, five, four. I don't know why.
>> Farz: Of course. Of course they were all short. Yeah.
>> Taylor: But I'm like all these, like, you know, if you. If you were a Navy guy wearing like, a Navy sailor suit from 1943, you're like, five, five at best, picturing every. Everybody little. But so they go out and they're like, we're going to go out and hunt and find these guys. They went to a Mexican neighborhood and. Starting to, like, see if they could find anybody. They couldn't find anybody to fight. You know, when you're like, I want to fight someone. People are like, what? Like, don't, like, wanted to fight them. And they ended up at a theater in downtown LA called the Coleman. No, no, the Coleman was in the guy. The Carmen Theater. So there was a movie showing in this movie theater, and they turned on the lights and they were like, we want to fight everybody in a zoot suit. So the first actual people who were hurt, no one died in these riots. In the end, 150 people are injured, but luckily no One died.
>> Farz: So all these guys probably have like 14 schnappses or something, you know, like, they probably had like some low alcoholic beer. But they're from Ohio, so they've never had a beer before. And.
>> Taylor: Yeah, yes, yes, they're definitely, they're definitely drunk. Right?
>> Farz: This is, this is a drunk plan. That's the whole thing.
>> Taylor: 100%. It's a drug plan. Yes. So they. The first victims are two boys, 12 and 13, who happened to be in the theater. And they were. My research said they were wearing minor versions of the zoot suit.
>> Farz: That's so cute.
>> Taylor: Poor little, poor little pachucos. I bet they were just so freaking cute. Trying to like, do their hair with like their mom's cooking oil, you know what I mean? I can just imagine how freaking cute they were. But they took their zoot suits off of them and they like Pete with their pee on them and like burn them like a lot of, a lot during the story, which is so sad. So they ripped off these cute cutie patooties. I can only assume 4ft tall at best. These two 12 year olds in their zoo suits. And they, they, they, they still. And beat them up, which is terrible. Then they went down. They just continued to go through downtown to look for more people. And then they. Eventually the people were like, involved in the Navy were like, we should start arresting these guys who are kind of out of control. And then the Navy intervened and said, no, we're not going to log. Like, no one was arrested for anything. No consequences. They just like, guys, you gotta go home.
The LAPD had a hands off policy during the 1920s riots
And they went home. The LAPD through the whole entire thing, like, didn't really do anything. Like one. LAPD officer said later, quote, you can say that the cops had a hands off policy during the riots. We represented public opinion. Many of us were in the first World World War and we're not going to pick on these kids in the service, you know, so they're like also.
>> Farz: LAPD's reputation 50 years later was incredibly racist. I can't imagine what it was in the 1940s.
>> Taylor: Yeah. When everyone is racist.
>> Farz: When everybody is racist.
>> Taylor: Yeah. No, totally. So the LAPD really didn't do much what they would. Usually the only people who really who were arrested were the Mexicans as they were, started to fight back. So they, someone would get like beaten to the ground and not be able to stand up. And then they get arrested because they couldn't run, you know, Those are the people that ended up being arrested. They would rise, they would. The cops would round up suspects for vagrancy or rioting. One night they arrested like 200 minorities, like youths. Many of them weren't even wearing zoot suits. And then, you know, twice as many servicemen are doing the exact same thing and they're not arrested. You know, so the next couple days it kept going. So every night these guys would leave their barracks and come out and look for people wearing zoot suits. And they would charter fleets of cabs around la. Like, we're going to be on the lookout for guys and Zeus, so we're going to get them.
>> Farz: You know, I kind of imagine here is like there is something to.
>> Taylor: Your.
>> Farz: Adrenaline system knowing you're about to go to war.
>> Taylor: Yeah.
>> Farz: You don't know when, but you know that there's this horrible thing that's about to happen.
>> Taylor: Yeah.
>> Farz: And there's a, I can see a need to have to like, dissipate that and like feel like you're gonna be tough enough going into the thing you're going into. Like, I don't know this because this sounds like, again, it just sounds like the scheming of a bunch of dumb 18 year olds. But also they're probably like scared shitless and are like trying to not seem scared shitless. They're looking badasses by going and picking up a bunch of people that didn't deserve it.
>> Taylor: Absolutely. And I think, I think that like, I'm, you know, I'm, as a white person, I am the first person to be like, is this f****** white dude's fault? You know, but like also like their children about to go to war and everyone's racist and they're scared shitless, you know, all things. They needed therapy. They didn't need to like riot. They needed to like talk to someone, you know, But I mean, but as we know, they came home and they also did not get their therapy and here we are. So like, you know, that's. It wasn't great for them at all. Yeah, you're totally right. Like the, everyone, everyone is scared in the story. Even the baddies, you know, even the guys are like, they're scared. So, you know, they are obviously, but obviously, like, you know, anyone wearing a zoot suit, anyone Mexican, like, they're going to, to try to assault those people, which is very, very racist. Like, clearly, clearly like based on race, sometimes they would, you know, like a couple African Americans, the Filipino Americans were, were hurt as well, but it was mostly Mexicans. And then also on the side are a bunch of white civilian people egging on the. The service people. Like the, the Military guys. So they're like. Yeah, like literally watching it like a picnic. Like they're watching people have this riot and they're like egging on these guys that have this. So there's a whole bunch of stuff. They would go into houses, they would just like hunt for people. They're all around like east, east la, Boyle Heights, just trying to find guys. They were like looking for specific gangs, which like, wasn't really a thing. You know, they're just like trying like it's like a group of your friends, you know, but like 10 games back then is a gang. I mean like, I think that like, like the word gangster is like a 20, 1920s name.
>> Farz: But like street gangs though. Street gangs is different. Like what you're talking about?
>> Taylor: I mean, yes, because the west side Story is like though. But I don't know. It's as best as I could get for you.
>> Farz: Yeah, I don't know either. I would assume there had to be something, but who knows?
>> Taylor: Yeah, so. They'Re, you know, it's escalating and it's been a whole bunch of days. So they. By June 6th and 7th, this is really where it's like the actual like worse of it. But it's like several thousand soldiers, civilians, people just like beating the out of anyone that they can find. And it's like just continues to get worse. So now people from the military all over have like heard about it and they're coming in from Vegas or coming in from San Diego because they want to join. Annoying. And again, I think you're right to like do something, you know, you gotta like fight out that tension.
>> Farz: Yeah.
>> Taylor: So now anyone wearing any young man who is not white, especially if they're wearing a zoot suit, they're gonna get the s*** beat out of them. There was like one Russian kid who was beat up because he was trying to protect his Mexican friends. You know, like 1112 year old boy, like he has a quote being like, why are they fighting us? You know, like they don't understand, like we're supposed to be at this war and like we're fighting each other here. So by June 7th, over 200 Mexicans have been jailed. Almost no, no civilians or servicemen have been jailed, like really ever. They the paper and like the media is like, these are the riots. It's because that the Mexicans started it, of course, and all these things. So finally it's like out of control. And it's a June 8, it's been like almost a week and it's so widespread and the publicity is really bad, which is finally when they start to like, be like, okay, we can't have this happening here in our city. Like, people are going to like, feel like it's unsafe. So they finally put out a, a order or whatever that all servicemen have to go home. They have to go to their barracks and stay there, which they should have done a while ago, you know, because they're like driving around beating people up. They finally have to do that. And so everybody has to go back to their boats, back to their places or whatever. They had people come back.
Hundreds of servicemen prowling downtown LA on problem for Mexicans, memo says
It's like some folks that kind of like coming through downtown and like finding the military guys who were like stuck in bars and like, whatever, and being like, go home, go home, go home, go home. This is over. So a Navy memo from June 8, which is like our last day, said, quote, there were hundreds of servicemen prowling downtown LA on the problem for Mexicans. Groups from 10 to 150, 150 strong, were roaming and would scatter. When Shore Patrol approached. Someone would come and be like, you just have to go home. They'd like run, you know, because there was like, like, probably have like a black eye and a baseball bat. And they're just like, really like, obvious.
>> Farz: What they were trying to do or were in the process of doing.
>> Taylor: So finally on, on June 8th is when the LAPD is like, okay, they have went. They call, you know, all of the reserve cops in so that people can go in and they can finally be like, hey, let's stop, stop this. Like, stop doing things. By June 8, like, there were very few guys in the suits out on the street anyway. They were like, either the suit had been taken off of them and destroyed or they were like, barbara, to wear that outside, I'm going to get beat up.
>> Farz: Right?
>> Taylor: So like, of course there aren't as many people out there to do it. So June 9, the mayor met with the Navy and they were like, okay, we have to keep the guys like in their, you know, in their barracks for a little bit longer. I wrote in all caps, this is f****** silly. But on June 9, the LA City Council passed an emergency resolution banning the wearing of zoot suits in cities streets. Like, that was the problem.
>> Farz: That's wild.
>> Taylor: Like, oh, if we're beating up guys in zoot suits and it's definitely the.
>> Farz: Z that's the problem.
>> Taylor: Yeah. So if we just like, don't wear.
>> Farz: Those, well, they probably, I would assume there's some underlying intent behind that. They probably try to designate them as like, A criminal gang. And the affiliation was the suit itself.
>> Taylor: That's why you can't wear your motorcycle cut at the Yucca Valley Bowling alley.
>> Farz: Which I kind of agree with.
>> Taylor: I don't feel like it's an issue currently. But like, I don't know, I've watched tons of anarchy but I've seen zero gangs. But whatever. The point is if you wear a zoot suit in public now, you get punished by a 10 fine or 30 days in jail.
>> Farz: You mean today?
>> Taylor: No, but that was like after back then. Okay, that cannot no longer be a rule. But I don't know. Yeah, don't test it unless you're Michael Jordan or Jim Carrey in the Mask. So we'll never know.
>> Farz: We'll never know. Yeah.
>> Taylor: So by mid June, things are okay. Things get better. The, the military is like, oh, there's a couple people who were like, you know, thoughtless and you know, did some stuff that was wrong. But it was like hundreds and thousands of people. It wasn't like a couple people on June 15th they were allowed back into LA and trying to get people to be like stop doing this, like start being nicer to each other. We can't, we cannot have of these like roving gangs of military men beating people up. It's bad, it's a bad look. The governor had a special committee to like investigate and see what happens. And basically like the Navy was like, you know, they were looking for like some excitement, they needed something to do. You know, you're like, yeah, but you shouldn't be a roving gang of like racist, beating people up people. You know, eventually, you know, no one really got in, no one got court martialed, no one got in trouble, you know, for it. It just kind of like happened. The media was, the whole time was just like, oh, you know, it was goons and suits that started this. We needed to clean up gang based crime anyway. And like there wasn't zero crime, you know, but it wasn't like, well also like it's not your job to do that.
>> Farz: Right, right.
>> Taylor: You know what I mean? Like if there is crime in the city, then like, like the city should take care of it. It's not like the military men on base's job to take care of it. So all of that the. The mayor who at the time of LA insisted that there was no racial discrimination involved. People were like, okay, well that's like 100 not true.
>> Farz: And then so weird, like what are.
>> Taylor: You even talking about? And then our dear Eleanor Roosevelt, who we love in her column My Day we just talked about. So if you are just, if you're just joining us. Eleanor Roosevelt, who is wonderful, wrote a column called My Day, where every day she would write a column of what she was doing, like, basically to like, humanize herself and like, be there for the American people during the war. She's amazing. And in her column she said, you know, this quote goes deeper than just the suits. She's like, it's a racial protest. Like, like, it, it is because of race. And people in, in LA were really upset about that. Like, the people in charge were. Because they were like, can't believe she said that about this race riot we just had. You're like. I also can't believe it. One of many of, of la.
>> Farz: It's like, that's what, it's so interesting when I think of la. I mean, I've lived there for so long. You think of like Hollywood wildfires and race riots. Like, like, it's, it's like, yeah, the mad lib is the top three things.
>> Taylor: We, we laugh or we would cry, but. But that's it. No one died. Luckily.
The zoot suit went out of fashion during World War II
The zoot suit. Actually, this is, I don't know, kind of sad because I kind of like it. It went out of fashion, you know, because of like the discrimination and like all those things, but also because they had to ration fabric for the war. You know, I think about that a lot recently. I was thinking about like, imagine if the government was like, we need your pots and pans to build bombs. Everybody did it. They did that. It's not wild. Like, I just can't. Or they're like, oh, like, you're like, I was at the. I took my in laws and my kids to the. We have like a airplane museum in Palm Springs and it's awesome. You can like get into planes. You can see I sent you pictures. Yeah, that awesome, like stealth jet fighter. And like, it's so cool. But they had like a, a wedding gown made out of a parachute because people would like repurpose parachutes after they were longer used to be able to make their clothes because that's where the fabric came from in the first place. You know, like, imagine like being out of those things. I feel like we can't contemplate that in like today's America. But like, not like, oh, I can't afford butter, but like, there is no butter. You know, something like that. So that was part of the reason that it kind of like came out of. Out of fashion. But. But yeah, it was like a. Just like a really, like. And I've also imagined it was, like, hot because it was June, you know, and like, it happened at night, like in the dark. So I just like a picture this, like, kind of misty, dark June. Everyone's scared. No one knows what's gonna happen. You know, like you're, you know, it's. It's the. The smack dab middle of World War II, and we're sending kids over there and Mexico sent a bunch of kids here to, you know, work jobs here and. I don't know, it sucks. Everyone's scared. I'm glad no one died.
>> Farz: Yeah, I would imagine there's a lot of really good movies about this because the art deco scenery, like, that's what I think is like, interest. Like the most interesting part to me is like, if you try to imagine what this looked like, I mean, it had to look so cool, like art deco LA in the 40s with suits, zoot suits and, I don't know, military gear on. Like, it just.
>> Taylor: There's a. There's one. And I have not. I did not see it, but I should called Zoot Suit starring Edward James almost. Of course, 1981. So I do want. I should watch that. Have you. Did you ever watch. The. Oh, it looks like the movie has the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial, which was a murder we talked about in the beginning, and the riots. So it covers the whole thing. So I probably should have watched this, but you can watch it. But did you ever watch 30 Rock? No. There's one part where they. Someone. They have so many fun one liners and one of them mentioned that they have a friend who's an Edward James Almost impersonator named Edward James Almost. I always think about that when I hear his name because it's the funniest idea I've ever heard. Like, so good. But I think that's like, the only one interesting. Yeah.
>> Farz: So much material, though. Just the fabrics and the. The art and the buildings and.
>> Taylor: Yeah. Like an LA Confidential vibe. But like, from like, China side. Yes, exactly.
>> Farz: Like Chinatown is great because it is like, set in this timeline.
>> Taylor: Like, if you're. If you're in downtown LA ever, if you look like 10ft above the ground, it's very beautiful. You know, if you look at like the current storefronts and the ground, you'll be like, this is disgusting. But if you look up, up, you'll see like, oh, these buildings are really gorgeous.
>> Farz: Or if you're there after the sun's been baking and you smell God, just downtown is a whole thing. I was Gonna tell you, Taylor, when you're there, remember. I know you know this already, but again, remember, if anybody's like, oh, we could just walk somewhere, like, they want to go somewhere, never do it. Like, zoom out. Make sure you're not walking through skid row.
>> Taylor: A thousand percent. I actually chat GPT. I was like, what places can I go to that are safe to walk to? And, like, you know, and it, like, gave me some options. And some of them, it, like, literally wrote in parentheses, like, it's okay to take an Uber to this place if you're wearing heels. Which is, like, very nice. He didn't know me that well. Yes, but. No, totally. I don't. I don't want to, like, leave my little nice hotel bubble, which is terrible. True. But, you know, we've. We were there for so long.
>> Farz: We know, we know.
>> Taylor: Check out our Cecil Hotel episode for how much fun we had in downtown la. Yes.
My girlfriend and I went to a swing class and everyone was mad at us
I can't even imagine. Yeah. Anyway, that's it. I thought it was fun. I love those two songs about the suit riot. Could you remember when everybody's doing swing in the 90s? Oh, yeah. My. My girlfriend Indica and I went to a swing class and, like, at, like, the college for some reason. And we both wore, like, she had great shoes, so I had these, like, great, like, wooden heels on, and I had this, like, flowy skirt. And, like, we both looked awesome, you know. And then we get there, and of course there's like, all those a******* who take it really seriously, so they're all wearing, like, jeans and, like, you know, bananas in their hair, and they're really mad at us. Indica is a great dancer. She's like a technically skilled ballerina. And I'm like, hey. And it was hilarious. And we never went back because everyone was so mad at us.
>> Farz: I wanted to learn, like, hello dancing. Like, I took a bachata class here in Austin, and it's like salsa. It's like a different version of salsa. Like, I went. It was in this, like, actual studio for teaching and all that. And everybody was like, it wasn't fun. It was so, like, every. Was there for a reason, and it was, like, to practice their skills.
>> Taylor: Serious.
>> Farz: Yeah. And I was like, I don't want to do this again. This. This kind of sucks.
>> Taylor: That's fair. I think you have to do, like, a. A With, like, your friends, you know, Like, I don't want anybody who's trying to, like, when Dancing with the Stars. I just want to, like, I would love to go to a wedding and, like, Know how to dance? Well, you know, I just, like, dance with my husband. Like, we're in high school. I don't know what else to do, you know, I'd like to know more. Yeah, like, that's basically it. So if you want to host that class, let us know.
>> Farz: We will attend when you're here in February. We'll sign up.
>> Taylor: Oh, my God, that'd be really fun, taking his class. It'd be hilarious.
>> Farz: We just have some. We just go there. We'd have a few cocktails and go there and have a good time. And then they get mad at us and it's gonna be fun.
>> Taylor: And I was like, everyone would be so mad at us.
>> Farz: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
>> Taylor: You have to get a zoo suit.
>> Farz: Yeah, I think I need to pull it off. I think I'm the right collection.
>> Taylor: I'll consider adding you. Adding you to my list if I see it, but I'll have to let you know.
>> Farz: Thank you. Thank you.
We pronounced Terence Watanabe incorrectly in our show about. Yes, that happened
Well, do we have any listener mail?
>> Taylor: I do. I have a bunch. By the way, you can email us doom to philpot gmail.com or you can Instagram us and just say hello. We pronounced the name of Terence Watanabe incorrectly in our show about. It is Watanabe. I think you said Watanabe.
>> Farz: Watanabe.
>> Taylor: But it's Watanabe.
>> Farz: I just go off of aliens Watami, you know.
>> Taylor: But my cousin Lindsay, who speaks Japanese and is our Japan expert. Sent me an email. It is. She said wa Tanabe. Each syllable has a full vowel, same as the last name. As Ken Watanabe, the actor.
>> Farz: Interesting. Okay. I was really hoping that Terence himself listened and wrote in, but. Okay, this. This is good too.
>> Taylor: No, I would have called you. Yes, that happened. But she also. She was excited. Excited because she also got a lot of. From Oriental trading when she was a kid.
>> Farz: Oh, nice.
>> Taylor: As. As us white people did, I guess.
>> Farz: Yes.
>> Taylor: So that's from Lindsay. And then our friend Kiara sent in an email with a suggestion. Thank you. So awesome. And then Nadine, our other friend, messaged in just to remind everyone that therapy is good. Because I think one episode you were like, meh, f*** it. Don't do therapy. And I just wanted. She just wanted us to double down and, like, take care of your mental health.
>> Farz: Okay, Can I. Can I do a qualifying statement here?
>> Taylor: Yes, please.
>> Farz: I'm a firm believer that if you sit and dwell on things, you are creating permanent foundations for those in your mind.
>> Taylor: Is that what therapy is?
>> Farz: Okay, but if you. If you. We're gonna disagree on this.
>> Taylor: But no, but it's okay if that's been your experience with therapy. Yes.
>> Farz: Yeah, well, no, my experience with therapy, like, I. I thought that. I thought it was good, but not in the way that it is kind of put together because the incentive structures are such that you should never get better and nobody wants you to actually get better because the economic incentives are such that you continue going. So there is no end conclusion to.
>> Taylor: That's true. Our. Our couple therapists said, I think you guys are fine.
>> Farz: Okay, you know what? I'm painting with a broad brush. I'm painting with a broad brush because. Because my experience with it was I was like, this guy's gonna lift 150 bucks off off me every two weeks.
>> Taylor: Of course, until I die. Yes. And people do go forever. But it's like, it's like exercising. Because you're exercising your mental health. Okay, well, I'm very pro therapy. If you don't feel good, talk to someone, take some pills.
>> Farz: Look, of course, like, if you were. Have experienced things, you need to get out of your head sometimes. Family and friends are in a safe place. Obviously that is your. My only point is like, when every single person is like. I think the analogy I use was like, they didn't get a pony when they turned 16 and now they have to go to therapy because they're traumatized. Like, it's like, okay, like at some point somebody you have to have a back. Like, you gotta be able to stand on your own two feet. Eventually.
>> Taylor: Yes, sure, sure. And your therapist would help you do that. That's their job. But I get that maybe sometimes that wouldn't happen.
>> Farz: I also think the Iranian mind is impervious to therapy.
>> Taylor: I think there is something to that cultural thing too.
>> Farz: We're like. We'Re so used to compartmentalizing all of our lives and thoughts and everything that it's just.
>> Taylor: I see, I see that a therapist would tell you not to do that and that would make you uncomfortable.
>> Farz: Yeah, it's like, what do you know?
>> Taylor: Exactly.
>> Farz: There we go.
>> Taylor: Cool. Well, thank you. Thank you, everyone. Please send us an email. Send me an email this week because I'm stressed out. So tell me how you're stressed out and we'll get through these f****** holidays together.
>> Farz: Amen. Thank you, Taylor.
Sam: Drinking whiskey in a can from Trader Joe's is therapy
>> Taylor: Thank you. Doom to Failpod, Gmail.com, doom to Fell pod and all the socials. I'm not doing great at posting to our socials, but I'm like, that's right.
>> Farz: Life is crazy.
>> Taylor: Yeah. So it's out there. But please tell your friends tell people we'd love to hear from more folks. And, yeah, that's all I have. Drinking this whiskey in a can from Trader Joe's. It's pretty good. This is a whiskey mule. Bourbon whiskey in this beautiful whiskey in.
>> Farz: A can is also another version of therapy.
>> Taylor: There you go.
>> Farz: There you go.
>> Taylor: It's gonna help me through this evening so I don't murder anyone.
>> Farz: There you go.
>> Taylor: Also, shout out to my husband for being very nice to me when I'm, like, very close to killing everybody in my house.
>> Farz: Thank you.
>> Taylor: I appreciate his. His calmness and being very positive about me as a person. It's just, like, very needed, or I would lose my mind.
>> Farz: Thank you for sparing all of us, Juan. Cool. I'm gonna go ahead and cut it off. Thank you. Taylor.
>> Taylor: Sam.