The Zoot Suit became a common sight in the 1930s and 1940s, with many young African Americans and Latinos making it their dress of choice. Around the same time, the zoot suit gained even more popularity, but this time for the wrong reason; they were associated with delinquent criminal activity and violence. The zoot suit is a men's suit with an oversized double-breasted jacket and wide shoulders, high-waisted pleated trousers, wide leg, narrow lapel. The coat is often striped or checked and has large pins on the lapel. The zoot suit look was completed with a colorful tie and pocket square, an endless watch chain, and a fedora (a wide-brimmed hat). As the dress became the garment of choice for minorities in the United States - African Americans, Latinos, and Italian Americans - it came to be associated with crime, violence, and gang affiliation, with many innocent minority youths ending up in trouble with the authorities state and federal governments to wear a zoot suit. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The zoot suit was a popular style in dance halls in areas such as Harlem, Detroit, and Chicago. Their popularity grew even more when famous musicians, especially jazz musicians, began wearing and performing in zoot suits. In ballrooms, the dress was loved for its ability to allow for the radical and frenetic movement involved in dancing, while remaining elegant and good-looking to impress other people, especially women. The suit became an ethnically and racially diverse youth culture in many cities, but the ethnic and racial backgrounds of the youth who popularized zoot suits soon became an issue. Many of the minority youth who wore zoot suits were affiliated with gangs in their communities or involved in criminal activity of their own. Additionally, at the time zoot suits became popular, the United States was preparing for and involved in World War II. The extravagance of fabric and accessories was considered wasteful and unpatriotic, and the crackdown on zoot suitors by the army and police led to widespread riots in the country. During the period of widespread riots, crime and repression, the media in the country portrayed zoot suits as a minority crime and gang problem. Several newspapers published articles describing criminal and violent activities carried out by zoot suitors. The uniqueness of each incident has been ignored, and the problem of crimes committed by individuals in zoot suits has been generalized and oversimplified as a gang problem in communities of color. While it was true that some gang members wore zoot suits and committed violent crimes, the media did not fully acknowledge or investigate each incident and instead propagated the stereotype of crime, violence, and gang activity among communities of color. The zoot suit became a symbol of rebellion during the widespread zoot riots in the country. The zoot suit extravagance was seen as a waste of resources that would otherwise have been diverted to U.S. war efforts. This belief, combined with the violence and crime associated with zoot suits on the streets, led to a widespread crackdown by government agencies and the military on zoot suits. Police and military action and outright brutality were primarily targeted against young people of color. Although some young white men had also adopted zoot suits as a fashion statement, primarily white neighborhoods were not targeted by the crackdowns. The people who, 1993.