Essay on Sleepy Lagoon Murder Case

Sleepy Lagoon was a famous hangout for Latino Americans in the year 1940. Sleepy Lagoon is located in a reservoir along the Los Angeles River. In August 1942, Henry Diaz died, and they thought that the zoot-suiters were responsible for the murder.

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The reason for the subject was meant to explain how World War I impacted on the lives of common Americans such as Mexican Americans and the experiences of the minority groups during the war. Moreover, the key issues involving the American local politics such as promoting democracy are discussed. Lastly, the subject is ideal as it explains how world war II resulted to infringement of civil right for instance the discrimination and prejudice of Mexican Americans resulting to violence and protests in Los Angeles thereby laying the background of future activism (Davidson, 2011).

There were various methods that was undertaken to strengthen the efforts of the case. The authority placed all the Mexicans on trial while ignoring the seventeen prime suspects. Moreover, they were suspecting every Mexican child to be zoot-suit killer. The police officers paraded themselves outside the dance rooms readily armed with pokers having sharp razor blades at the peak. Further, they ripped the peg-top pants and zoot-suits of the male children as they came out. The Mexican boys were mercilessly beaten up and sentenced or jailed in prisons without a transparent and fair trial.

In the end, the case led to Sleepy Lagoon murder case, and the zoot suit riots was a witch hunt, in the likes that other big cities, in particular on the East Coast and South experienced with African-Americans. It was simply Californias time to go through some growing pains. The views from both sides are engaging, but sometimes the status quo needs to be changed. History as I have seen it tends to have a perpetual sense of trial and error. The Sleepy Lagoon case was a prime example of change, reluctance, and expedition on both sides.Secondly, the case led to as severe conflicts between the servicemen and the young Pachucos and Pachucas. The Mexican American community believed that the trail was based on hate and prejudices towards the hem. The riot was culminated by rounding up of more than 600 youths who were mostly Mexican Americans called zoot-suiters. Lastly, after a month of conviction of the Mexican American young men, there erupted a zoot-suit riots or protests for one week. The sailors together with other service men drove out kids from movie houses, public cars, and hotels or restaurants. While the servicemen were beating and stripping the boys, thousands of white civilians celebrated as they assisted the sailors to beat the Mexican American boys. The Los Angeles Police Department also watched the cruel acts of the servicemen on the Mexican Americans. However, the Mexican American boys retaliated the attack to defend themselves by trapping the sailors and assaulting them in their cars.

According to historical informations, if Mexican Americans biologically were ever subjected to violence we could not entrust any Latin Americans. Apparently, people judged the entire race because of a few who were involved in crime. The innocent Latino America especially boys and children were all unfairly treated In America regarding the murder, yet there was no connect between them and what resulted to their death.

As mentioned earlier, the 38th Street Gang situated in the current South Los Angeles. The group, together with other people in the society, frequently visited a water reservoir in a gravel pit located on the Ranch of Williams in the Eastern part of Los Angeles. The lake which was commonly known as the Sleepy Lagoon by the community acted as swimming pool for the Mexican young generation who were never allowed to use the new and segregated public swimming pools. Chronologically, in August 1942, there was a violent confrontation between Henry and Dora at the Sleepy Lagoon with next door gang from Downey. However, Henry and Dora came back to the scene with their group to fight back but unfortunately they returned never found the attackers.

After they the 38th Street Gang had failed to get the rival gang, they decided to take their frustrations to a party at Delgadillo's home. When a serious fight came about at Delgadillo's home, Henry together with his gang ran from the scene. Surprisingly, the dead body of Jose Diaz found in the morning on a filthy road near the Delgadillo homestead. It was when the Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial was begun and investigations conducted were proving that Henry Leyvas and his 38th Street Gang were present at the crime scene (Rivas, 2005).

After a week of protest, Hank Leyvas together with the three boys released from prison after appealing. Their release was by serious errors in the trial including lack of enough evidence, thereby the murder of Jose Diaz got away with murder (Escobar, 1999).

Moreover, the zoot riots led to negative economic impacts in the country. The international trade was significantly affected thereby prompting the federal government officials to give pressure on the government officials to bring the conflict to an end. The federal government, for instance, called all shore leaves and also declared downtown of Los Angeles out of bounds to all the servicemen. Moreover, to curb the effects of press in promoting the violence, the media was pressured to stop publishing or printing negative reports misrepresenting Mexican American zoot suit-wearing youth.

Additionally, upon the return of Hank and other boys who sentenced, Los Angeles city completely changed. The zoot suit style drastically changed with time. Nonetheless, the small reservoir called the Sleepy Lagoon was urbanized thereby ultimately filed.

According to my research and reflection, I got one of the researched sources to most accurately mirror whatever I discovered from the critical thinking to be the right interpretation of the topic. It is because the source was precise, in its articulations of the why, how and the general result or outcome of Zooters and the Sleepy Lagoon Case.

In defense of the presented interpretation, the essays clearly bring out the historical injustices and discriminations based on the racism in America. Besides, the role of the Mexican American people coming together to defend their people or community was also a big plus in helping in advocating for the social and economic welfare of the community. Also, the shifting role of soldiers and the police departments of protecting the public to spreading and promoting violence and community disharmony is also brought out. The judicial systems were also not credible as they were unreliable due to the way they handled the case. Moreover, the effects or outcomes of the conflicts between the Mexican American and the white Americas were also brought out in the interpretation of the case.

References

Davidson, J. W. (2011). Experience history: Interpreting America's past. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Rivas-Rodriguez, M. (2005). Mexican Americans & World War II. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Pagan, E. O. (2003). Death at the Sleepy Lagoon: Zoot Suits, Race, and Riot in Wartime L.A. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.