Armenians march to raise awareness about Genocide, while USC students educate their campus.

On Friday, April 24th, thousands of Armenians from Southern California came together in front of the Turkish Consulate on Wilshire Blvd. in protest against the Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide.

This year marks the 94th anniversary of the first genocide of the 2oth century where the Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million Armenians.

Armenians around the world commemorate those who were lost on April 24, the day the Ottoman Turks systematically killed Armenian leaders who were seen as a threat.

USC students from various Armenian organizations came together to raise awareness about the genocide.

Beginning the week with a lecture by celebrated attorney Mark Geragos, students enrolled in an Armenian studies colloquium course engaged in discussion about the legal actions taken by the families of victims.

In the evening, filmmaker and genocide survivor J. Michael Hagopian presented his work, “The River Ran Red”, a documentary of 400 testimonies of Armenian genocide survivors.

“Trojans Against Genocide” was a weeklong effort that was brought together by the Armenian Students’ Association, the Armenian Graduate Students’ Association, the International Students’ Assembly, and the Armenian fraternity and sorority Alpha Epsilon Omega and Alpha Gamma Alpha.

In the week prior to “Trojans Against Genocide”, Fight On for Darfur, an event that raises money and awareness for the ongoing genocide in Africa, pitched several tents in a campus courtyard—each one dedicated to a genocide that occurred in the 20^th Century.

Inside the tent that represented the Armenian genocide were several fact sheets and photos, all of which exposed students to the history and illustrated visually that ignoring the first genocide subsequently lead to many more including Darfur.

Many students participated Tuesday in “Starving to Stop Genocide”, a daylong fast to acknowledge all genocides to date.

The International Students’ Assembly hosted a food fair Wednesday that featured food from several countries. The Armenian food served to students was an exposure to the culture and demonstrated the rebirth of its people after genocide.

Educating USC about the events of April 24, 1915, the Armenian Graduate Students’ Association dispersed 1,500 white carnations—each one representing 1,000 deaths— on

McCarthy Quad, one of the busiest sites on campus.

In addition to the flowers and the fact sheets, Alpha Epsilon Omega erected an 8-foot tall sign that had pictures and information about the genocide within large numbers “1915”.

In the peak of the afternoon a group of four Armenian students marched peacefully through campus wearing all black and red bandanas over their eyes. The organizer of the march, undergraduate Mhair Zeitounian, held up a sign that read “Instead of walking to class, Imagine walking to your death. Recognize the Armenian Genocide.”

The following day, the image of the students marching was on the front page of the Daily Trojan.

On April 24^th students, parents and community members came together in the center of campus around Tommy Trojan and listened to the Element band perform music and USC’s ASA chaplain Father Vazken Movsesian speak.

Many non-Armenian students participated by watching and buying memorabilia such as t-shirts sold by Alpha Epsilon Omega that have the word “genocide” written in the languages of country’s that have fallen victim to the crime. Proceeds went to educational programs that teach genocide.

The Los Angeles Times quoted USC senior Artak Arakelian as he sold shirts and pins in front of the Turkish consulate that day. As a response to President Obama not using the word “genocide” he said, “It just makes us work harder to make sure he fulfills his promise the next time."

Alpha Gamma Alpha held a daylong blood drive where several dozen students gave their blood to the USC/ Norris Cancer Hospitals. The message of the sorority was to give blood to honor those who gave their blood unwillingly in the Armenian genocide.

In the evening, the Glendale congregations of St. Peter Armenian Church and St. Mark Episcopal Church held its 4^th annual Armenian genocide commemorative service that featured clergy and choirs from both congregations. The service led by Father Vazken, donated its offerings to providing food for the refugees of the Darfur Genocide.

Photo taken from latimes.com

The culture of USC and its place in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the sum of many ethnic pockets. Some of its cultures intermingle and give birth to things such as the Korean Taco Truck and other cultures rest easy within their city's borders where learning English isn't a necessity. 

With 88 cities there are people from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different identified languages. 

Some ethnic enclaves are clearly outlined: Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Ethiopia and Little Armenia. Whereas, subcultures exist throughout the city. 

One culture that is not spoken about is that of the University of Southern California.

 

USC students can be easily identified in the surrounding neighborhood of the main campus. 

USC rests between downtown and South Central Los Angeles in its own bubble with its own culture. 

Beyond the stereotypical looks from The Row and Greek life, the members of the Trojan Family have distinct features that make them easy to spot once they step off campus. 

It's not about blonde hair, blue eyes, expensive cars or fancy clothes. That's a thing of the past. Was is relevant today is that Trojans who walk and bike down Hoover have an aura of confidence and ownership of the streets. 

And when they're not confident they're clinching to their pepper spray and remaining armed in the event that they have to interact with the outsiders who pose a threat to the USC community. 

The truth is that before any student attends their first class at USC they are told to be careful of the surrounding community. 

On the other hand, students are encouraged to use education as a bridge and participate through programs such as the Joint Educational Project where they can teach students at surrounding schools about various topics. 

After attending the training for the JEP program I witnessed program directors trying to convince USC students that the students in the surrounding schools have a lot of potential despite stereotypes about inner-city lifestyles and education. 

From the get-go USC students are taught to believe that the kids will learn from them and not the other way around. In this case, USC is not speaking with it's surrounding community, however, they're speaking to the surrounding community.

I just have one question: 

Is USC's culture one that can create fusions like the Korean Taco Truck or do its members stick to their own kind and not learn the language in order to create dialogue with others? 

One Los Angeles, Two Germanys

In one week the exhibit which contains photos, paintings and pieces of the Berlin wall, will be taken down from LACMA.
Not attending would be a mistake.

"Art of Two Germanys/Cold War Cultures" opened on January 25, 2009 and is the first major exhibition in the United States to capture the variety of art created during the Cold War years.

It is bold and politically charged, but the issues are easily understood by visitors that are not well-researched in German history.



I went to see the exhibit last Saturday when the museum was holding its "Late Night Art" show. It was an LA I've never seen before-- hundreds of art enthusiasts, images projected onto a white screen while unbearably loud music was spun live by two German DJs--I felt like I was in another world.

There were two great lines--one lead to the authentic German food and drink and the other to the main exhibit. After entering the building, we filed into an elevator the size of classroom and watched a slideshow on a flat screen TV which was part of the exhibit.

Overall "Art of Two Germanys" was a great import into Los Angeles and it taught the community about a part of world history through amazing illustrations and artifacts.

Eating Your Way to Diplomacy

In the cultural buffet that is America, many use food as a passport to get to know their neighbor. While some may argue that it is self-pleasing and passive, eating is a form of cultural diplomacy.

Los Angeles has it's fair share of eateries that are implants to the city. Along Fairfax Avenue, south of Whilshire, there are about a half dozen of Ethiopian restaurants which are owned by natives of the country but are often frequented by curious Angelenos with bold stomachs. 

As they take in the spices, their ears get filled with Ethiopian pop music and eyes take in the vibrant colors of the printed linen that often line the walls which are adorned with pictures of the homeland. 

Digging into the textured dishes with nothing but their bare hands and a slab of enjera (Ethiopian flat bread), visitors often will find a picture Haile Selassie, the beloved Emperor of Ethiopia, staring at them like a hungry Mona Lisa. 

Consumers of the Ethiopian food in L.A. are not only blessed with a great meal but are able to explore a foreign culture and learn about their ritual of eating all in an hour's time. 

In the same way, Angelenos are being turned on to Korean BBQ and the practice of making their own food from raw goods delivered by waiters.

Uncooked beef, pork and chicken are presented to food enthusiast

and in order to eat the food they must barbeque it on a small grill. Much like the Ethiopian presentation of food, the art of Korean BBQ promotes interaction between its guests and is a definite break from normal eating habits. 

Visiting new spices, the pallete gets educated about goods 

available to the Korean people. 

The incorporation of garlic, red peppers, buckwheat noodles, boiled and salted eggs act as ambassadors to their culture. 

It is clear that the exploration of a new culture often begins with tasting foreign food  but it should not end with digestion. In this way, food is only the gateway--a safe invitation to a new world. 

Please click on photo to find its origin. 

What cinema was to the Great Depression Obama is to our recession

No need for Hollywood if you want to escape today's depressing times, just turn to Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha.

They are the ultimate distraction, providing a sense of--dare I say it-- hope to the American people. The same way Americans turned to movies in the 1930's, we are now watching Barack at the Bulls game and Michelle as she invites influential woman over to her new home.

This family is perceived to have gone from the average debted home to the White House. There is a general feeling of kinship with the first family and many feel like they're just like them.

Keeping all this in mind, the Obama's are our escape.

"During the Depression, when the spirit of the people is lower than at any other time, it is a splendid thing that for just 15 cents an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles," said the much compared President Franklin Roosevelt of his constituents.

In Rachel Swarns' article "Could It Really Be Him? Yeah, Probably"she discusses the Obama family's interaction with the American people.

"Like basketball? There was Mr. Obama sitting courtside recently alongside astonished fans at the Verizon Center as he cheered on the Chicago Bulls in a losing battle against the Washington Wizards.

Enjoy the performing arts? The Obamas have been to the Kennedy Center twice, once to see the Alvin Ailey dance troupe — with daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7 — and once for a musical tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy," she wrote.

He's a Steeler fan, he holds his own Superbowl parties at the White House, he predicts the future in college football and he has won the approval of the American public--no matter who they root for.

Just ask Miles Rawls, the rawty Wizards fan who sat behind the president at the Bulls game. "We were up by 15," Rawls said in a Washington Post interview.

"I told [Obama], 'You can tell them to warm up the limo, Sir, because this is a wrap here.' "

Yep, we're growing so comfortable with our president that we can talk smack to him if we find ourselves on opposing sides of a game.

"We was just going back and forth," Rawls said. "Once Chicago started coming back, he told me, 'Now I think you need to sit down.' When Tyrus Thomas dunked on somebody, he turned around, was talking smack. Then JaVale McGee had that alley-oop, and he gave me the high five. We was just supporting each others' team, having a good time."

Obama was said to have also commented about the sweet seats he and the 5-year-old sitting next to him had.

Meanwhile Michelle is picking up where Jackie Kennedy left off, rebirthing the idea of a strong, intelligent and stylish leading lady. She graced the cover of March's Vogue and has been a style icon for a while. She is both graceful and powerful. He top-notch education makes her an idol to young women aspiring to become leaders and her strong sense of motherhood makes mothers across the nation reclaim their position of homemaker as a significant role.

From Scottish schools to LAUSD

Dear L.A. Ethnic readers, for the past few weeks I've been reporting on a new arts program in South Los Angeles. I though it would be nice to share with you the concept of using art in schools to teach business, self-expression and public diplomacy. 

Introducing Room 13: 

This is by no means your average middle school classroom and surely not what you can recall learning in your pre-teens.

Going beyond teaching students about the significance of arts as a means of expression, Room 13 is giving South L.A. youth an opportunity to become entrepreneurs.

Students participating in this innovative arts program are responsible for raising their own money to fund the salary of a resident artist and to buy art supplies.

The initiative, which has been imported from Scotland, is to create a sense of ownership of the classroom and to give students the ability to control their learning.

In South Los Angeles, James Foshay Learning Center students have begun an arts initiative that LAUSD has never witnessed before.

Room 13, a student-run art program initiated in a low-income area of Scotland, has been adopted by the L.A. youth.

“The vision is very simple: student directed, student led, student managed and student financed,” said John Midby, the instructor of Room 13 at Foshay.

Foshay was the first school in the U.S. to adopt Room 13 in January of 2008, after being selected by a local non-profit organization as a distinguished school that can benefit from the program.

“When I was at Foshay working on another project one of the students told me that her and her classmates are different from students at other schools because they know they have to try harder in order to succeed in their community,” said Tom Coston, president of the Light Bringer Project, an organization working with Room 13.

“So when we were deciding on which school would be the best fit for Room 13 we knew Foshay could handle something that consists outside of the curriculum that isn’t standard –we needed a brave school and they delivered,” he said.

Though Midby is technically the teacher of the period that offers Room 13, he said he allows his students to steer the class in whichever way they please.

“I find that most of the time I’m just the cheerleader telling them that what they’re doing is really cool,” he said.

Room 13 differs from the conventional middle school art class because the structure of the classroom is decided by the students. Aside from the room and the teacher’s salary, which are covered by LAUSD, students have to develop a business model to fund the pay of a resident artist and the art supplies.

“One of the greatest things about the program is that it doesn’t cost the school any money,” Coston said. “It just creates its own momentum.”

As a self-sustainable class, students have put fundraising ideas into action by selling holiday cards, designing their own t-shirts and selling alternative food and snacks at lunchtime.

Simultaneosly while raising funds, students have to negotiate deals with the resident artist to settle on a salary that is reasonable for both parties.

“They had a conversation and gave her an offer then she told them
what she wanted and so the students made a counter offer,” Midby said.
“The students are going to be paying her monthly with a bonus and she's going to be here for the room13 periods.”

Though it is ideal for Room 13s around the world to have local artists participate in the program for free and use the room as his studio with students as apprentices, Midby said, this isn’t common in the program.

The artist works alongside students and acts less like a mentor and more like a fellow artist who is in Room 13 to exchange ideas, skills and experiences.


Currently the program exists in more than 24 schools in countries including Scotland, England, South Africa, India, and Ukraine. Each Room 13 has a different set up, whether it be the number of students in the class or the class’s choice of theatre instead of fine art.

At Foshay, there can be as many as 40 students in a Room 13 period.

“Most of the other room 13s of the world are done at schools that have 400 students or less. We have 3,000 students at Foshay; the physical size of this makes us a different animal.”


Students who are enrolled in the Room 13 class are mostly participants of the Neighborhood Academic Initiative at USC, which is a program that creates a pathway for middle school students to get into college.

“The Room 13 program is helping students develop they’re knowledge of other cultures and is teaching them out-of-the box thinking that will help them in college” said Kim Barrios, director the Neighborhood Academic Initiative at USC.

One of differences students noticed when students researched the program was that there was hegemony in Room 13s abroad, where students in classrooms in Scotland are usually all white and Scottish, a contrast to the composition at Foshay, Midby said.

“When I showed the students pictures of what they in Scotland consider
to be a dumpy area the kids didn't really believe it because they didn't see enough graffiti,” he said. “It's sitting next to a lake, it's really beautiful, I know in Scottish standards [Fort William] is considered a poor place near consul housing but that has been some of the only cultural disconnects.”

iTimes

Some newspapers are entertaining the thought of using the iTunes model of charging for content in order to save their dying business and ressurect like the music industry did when Steve Jobs and Apple came out with the bright idea.

I say that Steve Lopez can be the next J. Lo.

Instead of thinking small like the music industry did during the napster days, U.S. newspapers should be confident that readers will follow good content.

iTunes illustrates that consumers will choose to pay for content if it is packaged correctly and is easy to use.

What has been proposed by some is to do micro-payments for each article... this would certainly be a big flop and just confuse the consumer to a point where he doesn't want to read the news anymore.

David Lazarus from the Los Angeles Times bought up an idea that I'd buy: "Digital readers would pay a monthly fee -- let's say $10 -- and in return they'd have full access to the likes of the New York Times, the Washington Post, the L.A. Times and any other paper that wants to be part of the consortium ...the more the merrier."

Genius.

The biggest set-back to charging readers for content would be that they can turn to another publication for that same information. However, if we tie up the nation's highest circulating newspapers and package them for the consumer then business picks up.

The perfect senario: most newspapers see that they have to do something to stay afloat so they agree to be part of this package idea. Then, consumers can pick the newspapers they want to subscribe to within this bubble and get charged accordingly.

For instance, if I lived in L.A. and wanted some local news and other content from out-of-state publications, my menu would look like this:

1. L.A. Times

2. Pasadena Star-News

3. New York Times

4. Washington Post

I would pay a standard price for the first few and then add some change for every additional publication. This way we cater to the news junkies without deterring the average reader from subscribing to their minimal news selections.

What I would like to see is news catered to my interests. I'd like to have it delivered to my phone and emailed to me. I would like subscription payments to be monthly and at a price that is reasonable. Note: I would not pay more than $1o a month for this service.

We Don't Believe in the Culture of Walking

There is no point in living in Los Angeles if you don't have a car. 

The city of Los Angeles is one that does not lend itself well to the walkers, bikers and taxi hailers of the world. Some people fool themselves into believing that some parts of town can be livable without owning a car but after sitting on three different buses just to get to a chin-dig it hits them that maybe they should have picked up one of those 99cent used car magazines to read on their ride. 

Being that Angelenos have a strong sense of ownership when it comes to their time, it is hard 

to convince them to ditch their ride for any alternative. 

Even carpooling with someone to get from a relatively close "point A" to the same destination of "point B" means being a slave to someone else's watch. 

I remember when gas prices were looking like it would cost us five bucks to get a gallon Mayor Villaraigosa gave a speech about how Angelenos have to change their ideology about public transit. 

Although some sucked it up, left their cars in their driveway and purchased a bus pass I would think that many are back to their old habits of driving solo all across town. 

With gas prices now half of what they used to be, the roads are more packed than they were just a year ago. The 405, now more than ever, is a parking lot during the rush hour ---which spans over three hours during the weekdays. This means 4-7p.m. and God-forbid the Lakers or Dodgers having a game on a weekday--which can add yell-at-your-windsheild moments all along the 5 and 110 freeways. 

Angelenos will white-knuckle their steering wheel through nightmare traffic but sigh heavily in delight when they hit the miles of the free freeway. 

Bottom line is that in order to enjoy the fruits of the 88 cities which belong to the L.A. County you have to drive to them. This includes but is not limited to the beaches parallel to PCH, the restaurants from those in East Los Angeles to Little Ethiopia and Pink's Hot Dogs, and the beautiful Getty museums. 

Gangsters Go Green and Make Dough

In Los Angeles, former gang members are finding a way back to mainstream society by working for Homeboy Industries. 

Working as bakers and solar panel installers, at-risk and formerly gang-related youth are given jobs, skills, and a living wage to help them become contributing members of the Los Angeles community. 

"Jobs not Jails" is their motto and keeping Angelenos out of crime is what Father Greg Boyle, S.J. based the non-profit on when he began Homeboy Industries in the year of the LA riots. 

Seventeen years later his vision has given an alternative to life on the street. 

With millions of dollars spent enforcing Los Angeles, Homeboy Industries stands as a testament that the best way to reduce the membership in organized crime is by keeping former gangsters busy and give them the same sense of self-worth. Otherwise there is no incentive to stay away from the luring life of the streets. 

But behind every homeboy stands a homegirl.

Homegirl cafe is staffed with 25 women and has a full menu, bringing people of the community in and out of the facility --integrating all Angelenos and furthering the purpose of the mission. 

It is clear that Father Boyle's method is one the should be adapted to troubled youth who are essentially forgotten and overlooked. 

All photos taken from homeboy-industries.org provided by J. Emilio Flores, Lucas Foglio, Glenn Marzano and Cam Sanders.

Los Angeles: A Metropolis Defined by Attire

A sub-culture that has cultivated Los Angeles almost since the founding of the city is gang culture, and its presence has been identified through its style of clothing by communities and law enforcers alike.

In this blog post I’d like to discuss fashion as criminal behavior and compare the Zoot Suit boys from 1943 with contemporary rebellious youth in the city. The element of fashion in the gang sub-culture is an integral part of Los Angeles life because this form of expression has created tension in the past and the present.

To examine the current situation on the streets, it is important to first understand the conflicts with fashion in the history of Los Angeles. Identifying an individual and attributing their appearance to a street organization was what began a fiery of riots during World War II. Men dressed in baggy pants and long over-sized coats called “Zoot Suits” were identified as enemies to the community. This new style was a cultural hybrid for both Mexican-Americans and African Americans living in the city. “At a time when government officials, the media, and general public encouraged the American populace to be a cohesive and homogenized unit of wartime production, Zoot Suiter’s notion of style laid claim to a cultural citizenship the challenged wartime notions of race, gender, and nation as fundamentally white” (Alvarez 2001). This new style was such a threat to the American public that men dressed in U.S. uniform had to chase and beat these fashion-forward men. The events that were covered by the press as Zoot Suit Wars painted a picture of Anglo-Americans versus the esthetically unified minority. In The Power of the Zoot: Race, Community, and the Resistance in American Youth Culture, 1940-1945, Alvarez identifies the government as a suppressor of individualism and unity among an empowered group of young Mexican-American men.

In current times the style of crime has been created by a new designer. Many of the images that gang members uphold are seen on television through music videos and television shows. Those affiliated in organized crime are expected to be dressed in expensive European suits as depicted in cult-movies like The Godfather and Scareface. Whereas street organizations take on a less put-together look and are represented by Hip Hop superstars like Nate Dogg and Ice Cube. Through my observations I have found that one should not underestimate Los Angeles’ influence in the apparel industry because the youth are quick to mimic the look of these gangster rappers. In memoirs written by the co-founder of the notorious Los Angeles gang “Crips”, Tookie Williams writes, “I dressed to match the thug persona I had sculpted to mirror the territory” (Williams 2004). He expressed how his amplified confidence and thuggish style gave the youth in the area something to be afraid of. In Blue Rage, Black Redemption: A Memoir, Williams describes many characters to have the appearance of the contemporary version of the zoot suiter. Instead of loosely fitting suits, the style today is to wear over-sized jeans with a belt, colored converse shoes, large t-shirts and sports logos on hats and jackets. However this style is not as exclusive as the Zoot Suit, many young men who are not gang affiliated wear these clothes as a form of their own expression.

Aside from unifying their members by creating a family on the streets, the style of clothing gang members use have colors, emblems, and discrete symbols that are characteristics which define their set. In a manual used to help law enforcers identify gang members, the writer states that “It is common for street gangs to wear clothing which bears names, insignias and/or color schemes and patterns of college, professional, and other sports teams” (Gang Prevention 1997). With this type of literature, law enforcers can police those on the streets and more interestingly in any public arena including schools and nightclubs. Here lie the similarities between fashions of contemporary street organizations and those of the famed “Zoot Suiters.” Ironically, it would not be difficult to find gang members at school dances or Quinceaneras dressed in Zoot Suits to give an illusion of formal Mafioso attire.

The fact that law enforcers have gone to these lengths (publishing manuals) to try to identify gang clothes underscores the importance given to what an individual wears in public. Once a subtle detail, now wearing a color can alert a police officer and create a probable cause for questioning.



In Tupac Shakur’s song entitled “To Live and Die in L.A” he tells the listeners “Better learn about the dress code Bs and Cs--all them other niggaz copycats These is Gs.” He gives a warning and addresses the importance of understanding how to dress in the streets and shouts out two infamous gangs in Los Angeles: the Bloods and the Crips. The Bloods are known to dress in red, whereas the Crips are identified by the color blue. Rappers are often using these colors to show their affiliation, and their mass exposure creates a ripple affect in LA and in cities around the world.



Through my intake of rap lyrics I have witnessed examples of this from several Los Angeles Hip Hop stars such as Snoop Dogg, The Game and Dr. Dre. For instance, the lyrics of “Westside Story” by The Game, he rhymes, “Rap critics wanna converse, about this and that, 'cause red strings in this converse and this a Dre track.” Game acknowledges the press’s role in creating attention and speculation about what a rapper is wearing. The question he is addressing is how someone with red laces, the Blood color, could be rhyming on a beat produced by Dr. Dre, a Crip affiliate. What is not represented in the equation is how the other side, the men who are wearing the clothes and being attacked, feel about their undeserved criticism. The power is in the hands of the members of the media and the law enforcers, those who are using the clothes as a form of expression-- that is not in association with gang culture-- are victims to both crime and scrutiny.

In Gang Bangs and Drive-bys, a book written by William Sandars, the author examines how individuals die from mistaken identity during gang shoot-outs. In situations such as drive-bys, a young man dressed in a color that is associated with a rival gang can get killed if he is in the wrong neighborhood. This signifies the importance that gang members have put on their appearance and their territory. In The Gang Identification Manual there are several pictures of commercial brands such as the Playboy Bunny that is used by the “Vice Lord” gang, which utilized the straight ears to represent their set. The brand is global and its popularity can put an innocent person in a situation of confrontation and violence. What poses even more of a threat is the idea of meeting with a rival without knowing. “There is one kind of gang-related violence that is exhibited by all gangs---inter-gang conflict” (Cummings and Monti 1993). This fuzzy line is one that an individual can potentially cross in Los Angeles due to the different pockets of gang territory.

The idea of having a limited freedom to express ourselves conflicts with the basic rights of all Americans. However, there have been several instances where local governments have extended their laws to include the governing of citizen’s attire. For example, during the Zoot Suit era, the Los Angeles Police Department enforced laws to prohibit men from dressing in that style. Alfred Barela told municipal judge Arthur S Guerin at his court appearance that he was frustrated with being judged for his ethnicity and for what he wears, he said, “We’re tired of being told that we can’t go to this show or that dance hall because we’re Mexican… or that we can’t wear draped pants or have our hair cut the way we want to… I don’t want anymore trouble” (Sanchez 253).


On June 9, 1943 elected officials who were brought into office to represent the people of L.A. came to the conclusion that young men dressed in zoot suits were a part of Los Angeles in which they wished to annex out. “The City Council by Resolution finds that the wearing of Zoot Suits constitutes a public nuisance and does herby instruct the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance declaring same a nuisance and prohibit the wearing of Zoot Suits with reet pleats within the city limits of Los Angeles” (Mazón 75). The outlawing of the clothing is a testament to the tactics used by law enforcers to identify criminals or likeliness of criminal activity with those who are dressed a certain way. The sub-culture of the zoot-suit boys was essentially muted in order to create a sense of homogeneity in a city that was afraid of the uprising of a minority group. Community organizers created a mission to cleanse the boys of their criminal behavior by literally stripping them of it. “Directions were printed for the new comers on how to ‘de-zoot’ a boy: ‘grab a zooter. Take off his pants and frock coat and tear them up or burn them. Trim the “argentine ducktail that goes with the screwy costume” (Moore 59).



Furthermore, in today’s society suppression comes in subliminal messages. For instance Hip Hop stations that are based in L.A., like Power 106, often advertise events then read off a list of items of clothing that would prevent an individual from getting into the advertised place—thus shutting them out. These restrictions are strange because of the liberties associated with being a member of an artistic union that allows oppression by law enforcers who essentially profile people before they are allowed into events. At Hip Hop Mogul Jay-Z’s “40/40 Club” guests are not allowed to wear the following: sneakers, jerseys, baseball caps, doo-rags, work boots or timberlands, baggy or ripped jeans. It seems odd that a pioneer of some of the fashions banned would regulate such strict and edited attire. It brings out questions of image. Do the owners of these high-profile clubs want to disassociate themselves from people who wear street fashions? The underlying fact is that there is a stigma attached to these clothes that makes business associates believe that it would make their venue more vulnerable to civic disturbance.

In Becoming Mexican American: Ethnicity, Culture and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles: 1900-1945, Sánchez states that cultural change can take place without social mobility. Much like the Chicano’s adaptation of zoot suits, the clothing associated with gang culture in the city of Los Angeles has evolved and expanded beyond its cultural boarders. Those who used to model the clothes for the exposure such as Ice Cube and Jay-Z, have now taken on an alternative outfit that reflects their position in the entertainment business. It is unlikely that Ice Cube would attend a viewing of his feature family film with a “Compton” hat and converse sneakers. Although, these items that represent the starting years of west coast rappers are sold in skate shops along Venice Boulevard and major apparel retailers like Urban Outfitters. The consumer has changed but the rebellious factor remains the same.

Through my research I have found similarities between the Zoot Suit culture and the fashion movement that has been affiliated with gang members in Los Angeles. The response to the original styles by law enforcers and community members is the stigmatization of the fashion and the labeling of criminal activity. Since the Zoot Suit Riots in World War II, there have been efforts to disembody the movement of uniformed street attire in both local government and in an informal way through privately owned restaurant, clubs and bars. Furthermore, my research has helped me conclude that members of society justify their fear of a person based on the clothes that are worn by the individual. In turn, these laws are creating a dress code particularly through requiring a certain look at a bar, but also in a larger movement when banning baggy jeans at school or labeling a certain brand a direct affiliate to a gang. The subtle moves towards restricting the right for the public to own individual expression creates tension in society. These same tensions of criminality in association with clothing are what led to the Zoot Suit Riots in 1943 and to the eventual banning of the suits by the city of Los Angeles. What is being sacrificed for the illusion of safety is the freedom of individuals or groups of individuals to walk freely among other people who possess the same rights.



Work Cited

Alvarez, Luis Alberto. 2001. The Power of the Zoot: Race, Community, and the
Resistance in American Youth Culture, 1940-1945. Michigan: UMI Dissertation
Services.
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That's So L.A.

In an effort to bring more tourists into LA, ads by Discover Los Angeles feature icons such as Kobe Bryant and the Hollywood Sign with the tagline "That's So LA." This leads me to ask two questions: What is "so LA" and how do these people and places represent Los Angeles? 

After visiting discoverlosangeles.com I discovered that Los Angeles can only be marketed as Utopic. In reality the Hollywood Sign is one of the only acts in Hollywood that has had a long shelf life and our shining knight, Mr. Bryant, though a sports star, has endured some drama of his own. 

One particular ad that caught my eye was of Lauren Conrad, reality TV star of MTV's The Hills. I can't say that I hate the show, but I feel like the LA that is portrayed in The Hills is far from our reality. Most 20-something year olds can't live in high-end apartments or buy their own homes; they can't afford to eat out at top restaurants everyday; and they don't land competitive internships/jobs without extensive experience. 

I guess the point of these ads are to attract the young dreamers who want to "make it big" in LA, however, trying to follow the footsteps of Ms. Conrad can only offer big debt.  

If I could paint my own picture of Los Angeles I'd have show visitors Silver Lake and the Sunset Junction. I'd take them to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for movie screenings hosted by Cinespia. For dining, I'd show tourists the beauty of our taco truck industry and have pastries from some bakery in one of our ethnic communities. 

Not so attractive is what truly is so LA, at least in its broad definition.  Traffic,  a spread out city with little social space and minimal public transit. All things considered, L.A. may have a lot to offer our tourists but should be able to deliver more to its residents. 

This post has been updated.