SacoyaPedersen

ProfessorOstler
HIST1700072
04/22/14

DuelingDoc#4ZootersandtheSleepyLagoonCase

Prejudiceandracismissomethingthattodayisaverysensitivesubject.Often,peopledont
realizejusthowbaditwasinthe1800sand1900s.InthisDuelingDocumentlocatedonpage739in
ExperienceHistorytextbook,itiscomparingtwodocumentsaboutprejudiceandracisminthe1940's.
Bothdocumentsarehighlightsofjusthowbadtheprejudiceandracismreallywas.
ThefirstdocumentisareportcalledTheMexicanAmericanCriminalbyEdwardDuran
Ayes.ThereportisextremelyracistandoffensivecomingfromtheLosAngelesSheriffDepartment.It
beginswithsayinghowMexicansdeserveonlythelowestpayingjobsintheUnitedStatessimply
becausetheydon'tbelonghere.IfthatwasstatedbytheSheriffdepartmenttoday,theywouldgetin
beyondsomuchtrouble.Itsconsideredveryracistnowadays.
Edwardalsostatesthedifferencebetweendomesticandwildcatswithinthisdocumentasan
example.Theyareallcats,justadifferentlookandcharacteristicsofthem.Hesusingthisasan
exampleofdifferentracessuchasMexicanversusAmerican.Attheendoftheday,weareallstill
familyandhavejustaboutthesamefeatures.
Withintheseconddocument,itspeaksofhowtheseventeenZootSuitkillerswereMexican
youngadults.TheywerecalledthisbecauseofthedeathofJoseDiaz.Theproblemwiththiswasthatit
wasntjusttheseventeenteensthatwerebeingblamed,itwasprettymuchtheentireMexicanethnicity
beingjudgedandblamedtoo.Yousimplycannotblameeveryoneforonlyseventeenpeoples
wrongdoings.Themediatookthisandfollowedupwitheverysinglethinggoingonwiththesegangs.
Theymadeitamuchbiggerdealthanitoriginallywas,whichiswhatthemediatypicallydoesabout
news.ItwascompletelyblownoutofproportionandgaveallMexicansthewrongimageto
Americans.
OnAugust3rd,everyMexicanyoungadultwassuspectedtobeazootkiller.Thiswas
pointedoutbytheDefenceCommitteeandmakesaveryvalidpoint.Thesepeoplewereabusedand
beatenjustbyskincolor,race,andthewaytheylooked.Thisisveryunconstitutional.
Bothofthedocumentstakeverydifferentpointsofview.Thetwopointsofviewtakenareone
tryingtojustifywhytheUnitedStatesdidwhattheydid,whereastheotherdocumentdeemsthisas
completelyunconstitutionalandistryingtostatethefreerightsthatMexicanAmericansshouldhavetoo.
Thisentireduelingdocumentreallygotmymindthinkingofwhyweweresoscaredofdarkercolored
races?Afterall,itispurelyaskincolor.Itdoesntdefinewhotheyareandwhattheirmoralsare.
Also,bothdocumentsstatethefactthatpeoplewerebeingprejudicedbyonesingleincident.It
hadtheentireMexicanpopulationbeingjudged.ThesedocumentswerewrittenduringWorldWarII
onthehomefront.DuringthistimeperiodtheWhitemenblamedtheincreasingriseoftheftandcrimes
ontheHispanicpopulationbecausetheywerestartingtomigratetotheU.S.
TheUnitedStateslikestobelievethatwearenolongerracistandprejudiced,butweare.For
exampletypicallysocietyasawholeisagainstterrorists.Grantedtheyarentthebestpeople,butjust
becausesomeoneisMuslimdoesntmakethematerrorist.ThisisexactlyhowtheHispanicculturefelt
backinthe1940s.Alsoahugetopicofdiscussioniswhethergaymarriageshouldbelegalornotright
now.Thereisnoreasonwhysomeonecantdowhattheypleaseto,besidesthefactthatAmericais
beingprejudice.Idontthinkthereisanentirewaytogetridofracismasawhole,butwecan
rememberthiseventtofurthertrytoavoidthishappeningonceagain.