The Man Who Set Off The Biggest White and Mexican Race Riots in California - José Díaz
Summary
TLDRIn 1942, Jose Diaz, a young Mexican-American, was killed in Los Angeles, sparking the Zoot Suit Riots. The incident, fueled by racial tensions and media portrayal of Mexican-Americans as violent, led to the arrest of 600 individuals. Despite no evidence linking them to the murder, 22 were charged, with 17 convicted. The case remained unsolved until a 2002 documentary revealed the true killer was not among the convicted. The riots, involving military personnel attacking those in zoot suits, resulted in hundreds of injuries and arrests, with no sailors held accountable.
Takeaways
- 📸 Only one known photo of José Diaz exists, taken in 1942 shortly before his death.
- ⚰️ José Diaz was killed in 1942, with the LAPD blaming his death on gang violence, leading to mass arrests of Mexican Americans.
- 🚔 The LAPD arrested 600 Mexican Americans following Diaz's murder, triggering racial tensions and escalating the Zoot Suit Riots.
- 👨👩👧👦 José Diaz was born in Durango, Mexico in 1919 and moved with his family to East Los Angeles to escape the Mexican Revolution and seek better opportunities.
- 💃 José Diaz loved jazz music and enjoyed attending weekend dances while wearing zoot suits, a popular fashion style among Mexican and Black youth in the 1940s.
- 👖 The zoot suit, considered unpatriotic by some during WWII, became a symbol of cultural identity for many Mexican American youths, though it was also used to stereotype them as criminals.
- ⚖️ 22 men were charged with José Diaz’s murder, but the trial became a tool for spreading stereotypes about Mexican Americans rather than focusing on proving guilt.
- 🧑⚖️ The trial was biased, with the judge forcing defendants to wear zoot suits to emphasize their perceived criminality, resulting in 17 convictions despite a lack of concrete evidence.
- ⚔️ The Zoot Suit Riots of 1943 involved widespread violence between servicemen and Mexican American youth, with servicemen attacking anyone in zoot suits or of Mexican descent.
- 🔍 Decades later, it was revealed in a documentary that José Diaz’s actual murderer was a man not originally charged, who had been at the same party as Diaz but was thrown out.
Q & A
Who was José Diaz, and when was he born?
-José Diaz was a Mexican-American who was born in Durango, Mexico, on December 19, 1919.
What event in 1942 led to the death of José Diaz?
-José Diaz was beaten and stabbed after a party near Sleepy Lagoon on August 1, 1942. He died hours later in the hospital.
Why was the death of José Diaz significant in Los Angeles' history?
-The death of José Diaz triggered a wave of arrests of Mexican-Americans by the LAPD and intensified racial tensions, ultimately leading to the Zoot Suit Riots.
What were the Zoot Suit Riots?
-The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of racial attacks and violent confrontations in Los Angeles in 1943, primarily between Mexican-American youths wearing zoot suits and U.S. servicemen.
What was the significance of the zoot suit in the 1940s, especially among Mexican-American youths?
-The zoot suit was a symbol of self-expression and freedom for Mexican-American youths but was viewed negatively by mainstream white society and authorities, who associated it with delinquency and unpatriotic behavior during wartime.
How did the Los Angeles police and media react after the murder of José Diaz?
-The LAPD arrested 600 Mexican-Americans, and the media fueled racial stereotypes, portraying the Mexican-American community as violent and dangerous.
What role did Hank Leyvas play in the events surrounding the death of José Diaz?
-Hank Leyvas and his friends were involved in a brawl at the party where José Diaz was later found murdered. Leyvas was one of the 22 Mexican-American men arrested and charged with Diaz's murder.
What was the outcome of the trial for those accused of José Diaz's murder?
-Seventeen of the 22 defendants, including Hank Leyvas, were found guilty, with some receiving life sentences. However, two years later, their convictions were reversed on appeal due to an unfair trial.
How did the military and sailors become involved in the Zoot Suit Riots?
-Tensions between servicemen and zoot-suit-wearing Mexican-Americans escalated after a fight between sailors and zoot suiters. This led to large-scale attacks by sailors on anyone wearing a zoot suit in Los Angeles.
What led to the reversal of the convictions of those found guilty of José Diaz’s murder?
-A new defense team, supported by celebrities, fought for the men’s release, arguing they had received an unfair trial. Their convictions were eventually reversed in 1944 due to lack of evidence.
What was revealed in the 2002 PBS documentary about the true killer of José Diaz?
-The documentary revealed that a woman confessed her brother had killed José Diaz after being thrown out of the party. She kept this secret to protect him, and he later committed suicide.
Outlines
📸 The Life and Death of José Diaz
José Diaz was born in Durango, Mexico, in 1919 and moved with his family to East Los Angeles at a young age. They lived and worked as farm workers on a ranch. Díaz dropped out of school to help support his family. Though quiet and hardworking, he loved jazz and the zoot suit style popular among Mexican-American and Black youth. In 1942, at the age of 22, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and attended a birthday party for a friend before reporting for duty. That night, a conflict broke out when Hank Levis and his friends attacked partygoers, believing they were responsible for an earlier altercation. Díaz was found the next morning, beaten and stabbed, and later died in the hospital.
⚖️ The Aftermath of José Diaz’s Death and the Media Frenzy
Díaz's death sparked a media storm, with police and news outlets perpetuating harmful stereotypes about Mexican-Americans. The LAPD arrested 600 young Mexican-Americans, many of whom were wearing zoot suits, in a supposed effort to find Díaz's murderer. The trial of 22 men, including Hank Levis, became more about demonizing the Mexican-American community than delivering justice. Despite a lack of evidence, 17 men were convicted, with some receiving life sentences. The trial reflected deep racial bias, as the defendants were made to wear zoot suits in court to emphasize negative perceptions of their culture.
💥 The Escalation of Racial Tensions Leading to the Zoot Suit Riots
Tensions continued to build after the trial, and in May 1943, a clash between sailors and a group of men wearing zoot suits led to a violent retaliation by military personnel. Thousands of sailors began targeting Mexican-Americans, dragging them from restaurants and theaters, beating them, and destroying their zoot suits. The attacks lasted for days, with the police turning a blind eye. When the violence became uncontrollable, the military intervened, banning servicemen from entering Los Angeles and leading the city to prohibit the wearing of zoot suits. The five days of violence became known as the Zoot Suit Riots, one of the most significant race riots in California's history.
🏛️ The Reversal of the Convictions and a Final Confession
The convictions of the 17 men in the José Diaz case were overturned two years later after a new defense team successfully appealed. Although they were declared innocent, the true killer of José Díaz remained unknown for decades. In 2002, a PBS documentary revealed a deathbed confession from a woman who disclosed that her brother, angry after being thrown out of the party, was the one who stabbed José Díaz. The woman had kept the secret for years, possibly contributing to her brother's later suicide. The story of the Zoot Suit Riots and José Díaz’s murder has since become a lasting piece of American history.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Zoot Suit Riots
💡José Diaz
💡Sleepy Lagoon
💡Zoot Suit
💡Mexican-American
💡Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)
💡Racial Stereotypes
💡World War II
💡38th Street Gang
💡Racial Segregation
Highlights
Only one photo was ever taken of José Díaz, in 1942, just before his death.
Díaz was killed a week after the photo was taken, leading to mass arrests of over 600 Mexican Americans.
The Los Angeles Police Department blamed Díaz's death on gang violence, which sparked racial tensions and led to the Zoot Suit Riots.
José Díaz was born in Durango, Mexico in 1919 and his family immigrated to East Los Angeles, seeking better opportunities after the Mexican Revolution.
Díaz dropped out of school after eighth grade to support his family by working on a ranch, a common practice at the time.
He loved jazz music and the popular Zoot Suit style, which originated in New York and spread to the West Coast.
Zoot suits were considered unpatriotic during World War II because they used more fabric, which was rationed for soldiers.
On the night of his death, Díaz attended a party near Sleepy Lagoon, a water reservoir used by Mexican youth since segregation kept them out of public pools.
A fight broke out at the party, resulting in Díaz being beaten and stabbed. He died hours later at the hospital.
600 Mexican American youth, aged 12 to 25, were arrested, many of them wearing Zoot Suits, reinforcing racial stereotypes.
During the trial, 17 men were found guilty despite lack of evidence, with the media portraying Mexican Americans as inherently violent.
The trial and media coverage fueled the perception that Mexican Americans were criminals, contributing to the Zoot Suit Riots.
The Zoot Suit Riots involved violent attacks by military servicemen against Mexican American youth wearing Zoot Suits, escalating racial tensions.
The violence continued for five days until military intervention stopped the attacks, while the police did nothing.
In 1944, the convictions of the 17 men were overturned, but the case remained unsolved until a 2002 confession revealed the true killer.
Transcripts
only one photo was ever taken of jose
diaz
it was in 1942 when he was 22 years old
a week later he was killed the los
angeles police department blamed his
death on gang violence and arrested 600
mexican americans
these arrests and the media coverage
that followed set off one of the biggest
reported cases of racial attacks and
racial violence in california's history
and became known as the zoot suit riots
jose diaz was born in durango mexico on
december 19 1919
four years later diaz's family joined
thousands of mexicans who were
immigrating to the united states to
escape the violence of the mexican
revolution
hoping to find better job opportunities
diaz's parents moved the family to east
los angeles to a predominantly
mexican-american neighborhood
they found housing on a ranch where
other families also lived and worked as
farm workers
it was common at that time for entire
families to work on a ranch to support
the household
diaz's brother and sister worked
alongside his parents on the ranch and
after the eighth grade diaz dropped out
of high school to also work
diaz's siblings described him as being a
hard worker who was quiet and reserved
but they also said he enjoyed having fun
he loved jazz music and go to dances on
the weekend
in the 1940s jazz was one of the most
popular genres of music and wearing a
zoot suit was a popular style of
dressing among black and mexican
teenagers
the style originated in jazz clubs in
new york and eventually made its way to
the west coast
the zoot suit was a suit with high
waisted wide leg pants that were pegged
at the bottom and a long coat sometimes
down to the knees
but those outside the black and mexican
communities didn't appreciate the style
of a zoot suit
it was the 40s during world war ii
and resources in the u.s were limited
people in support of the war said the
zoot suit was unpatriotic because it
used too much fabric taking resources
away from soldiers uniforms
the suits were also used as a way to
stereotype anyone who wore one
if you were mexican wearing a zoot suit
in los angeles people from white
communities and the police
automatically considered you a thug or a
delinquent hoodlum as they called it
but for those who wore them it was just
a way to celebrate their freedom of
choice
and when jose diaz and his friends would
dress up to go to a party or dance they
would all wear zoot suits
on august 1st
1942 there was a party being thrown for
a girl who lived on the same ranch as
diaz
the party was being held in a small
house near the sleepy lagoon side of the
ranch
the sleepy lagoon was the nickname for a
reservoir that was used to water crops
on the ranch
the large body of water was also used
for swimming or as a hangout mostly by
mexican kids who because of segregation
were denied access to city-owned
swimming pools
the party on the ranch that saturday
night was within walking distance of the
sleepy lagoon
jose diaz was going to the party to
celebrate his friend's birthday but he
also had another reason to celebrate
a few months earlier diaz had enlisted
in the u.s army
his family said he was excited for the
opportunity and because he'd be leaving
town his mother sent him to get his
picture taken
it's the only photo ever taken of him
diaz was scheduled to report to boot
camp the day after the party
the same night of the party hank levis
who also lived in east los angeles
decided to drive out to the sleepy
lagoon with his girlfriend
leves and his girlfriend didn't live on
the ranch but they wanted to go
somewhere quiet to spend some alone time
together
while the two were parked in their car a
group of guys pulled up alongside
they pulled leyvas out of the car and
jumped him beating him and then his
girlfriend
immediately after hank leves wanted
revenge he went back to his neighborhood
and got a group of his friends they
drove back to the sleepy lagoon to look
for the guys who had jumped him but by
the time they got there it was after
midnight and there was no one around
they heard party music coming from a
small house nearby it was the same house
diaz went to to celebrate his friend's
birthday
hank leves and the guys he brought with
him assumed that whoever had jumped him
was at that house so they walked in the
party and started swinging on whoever
they saw
this created a brawl that lasted 10
minutes before being broke up
leives and his friends ran from the
party jumped in their car and left
the next morning jose diaz was found
laying in the street badly beaten
stabbed twice and near death
hours later he died at the hospital he
was 22 years old
the lapd in the media wasted no time
using diaz's death to further negative
stereotypes about the mexican-american
community which most white people in
southern california at the time feared
and believed was filled with dangerous
and violent criminals
the los angeles examiner reported that
the la sheriff's office made public
statements saying that mexican people
had a total disregard for human life and
a biological tendency to be violent
at a time when racial tension was
already high the media and police
statements like this only added to
racial prejudice to the point where la
police were arresting as many young
people of mexican descent as they could
under orders to find jose diaz's
murderer the lapd arrested 600 mexican
americans between the ages of 12 and 25
and many of them were wearing a zoot
suit when they were arrested
out of the 600 men arrested 22 were
charged with the murder of jose diaz
including hank leves
two months later their trial began and
they were all tried together
but the trial became less about proving
diaz's killers were guilty and more
about trying to prove to the world that
mexican people were dangerous
the defense lawyer for the men and boys
on trial requested the defendants get
haircuts and clean up for court but the
judge denied the request and stated that
with their hairstyles changed they could
look less threatening which might
confuse the jurors the judge also
required that the men wear their zoot
suits every day in court for the entire
length of the trial so that the public
could see what criminals wear
during the trial the prosecution claimed
that all the men involved in diaz's
murder belonged to the 38th street gang
in los angeles
some of the defendants admitted to being
gang members others denied it but what
they all agreed on was that there was a
fight that night at the party but that
none of them had killed jose diaz
and prosecutors couldn't produce any
evidence to prove otherwise
but after a three-month trial
17 of the 22 defendants were still found
guilty
three of them hank levi's included
received life sentences without parole
leves a 17 year old girlfriend and seven
girlfriends of the other men were also
arrested but because they chose not to
cooperate with police they were all
taken out of their family's custody and
put in a reformed school until their
21st birthdays
and the killing of jose diaz was dubbed
by newspapers as the sleepy lagoon
murder
five months after the trial the public's
opinion of people wearing zoot suits had
only gotten worse
that opinion extended into the military
where the majority of military personnel
also believed that young mexican
americans were criminals and all the
newspaper reports of the sleepy lagoon
murderers confirmed their beliefs
so when 50 000 military servicemen were
stationed throughout southern california
during world war ii
the harassment towards men wearing zoot
suits escalated
in may of 1943
12 sailors who were stationed on shore
and going to a bar in downtown l.a were
walking towards a crowd of women to talk
to him
they passed a group of men who were
wearing zoot suits
one of the sailors feeling threatened
grabbed one of the men's arms the man
responded by knocking the sailor out
after a quick fight involving both sides
the sailors ran back to their base
when word of the fight got around to
other servicemen the sailors decided to
plan an attack in retaliation
three days later 50 sailors with
makeshift weapons left their base and
started going from neighborhood to
neighborhood searching for anyone
wearing a zoot suit
the sailors went into restaurants and
movie theaters they dragged people out
onto the streets beating them ripping
off their zoot suits and urinating on or
burning the suits
people as young as 12 years old were
beaten and police did nothing
two days later the violence continued on
sailors from nearby states even came to
california to join the attacks
thousands of military men walked the
streets of los angeles looking for
anyone to attack and when they couldn't
find anyone wearing a zoot suit they'd
attack anyone they could find who wasn't
white
eventually members of the
mexican-american community organized and
fought back jumping sailors as soon as
they entered the neighborhoods
this race rioting went on for a full
five days and still the police did
nothing
it wasn't until the military realized
that the city of los angeles had no
plans on stopping the violence that they
stepped in
the military ordered all sailors back on
base and declared la off limits to all
servicemen
the very next day la city council banned
the wearing of zoot suits on los angeles
streets a band that was punishable by a
30-day jail sentence
the zoot suit riots is what the five
days of fighting became known as and it
was the worst reported race riot in
california's history
hundreds of mexican americans were
hospitalized and arrested and although
there were sailors hospitalized not one
sailor was arrested
as the rioting came to an end the 17 men
convicted of killing jose diaz still sat
in a san quentin prison cell and they
stayed there for two years
but even though they were found guilty
there were some people like wealthy
celebrities who believed they were
innocent and had received an unfair
trial
these celebrities hired a new defense
team for the men and in october of 1944
almost two years exactly since the day
they were arrested their convictions
were reversed on appeal they were
declared innocent and they all walked
out of prison
in the case of jose diaz's murder
remained unsolved for over 40 years
that was until one of the women who was
at the party on the ranch that night in
1942
made a confession shortly before her
death the woman made the confession to
her daughter and in a 2002 pbs
documentary titled zoot suit riots it
was revealed that the woman's brother
was the one who had killed jose diaz and
he was not one of the 17 men who were
convicted
the boy had been at the same party as
diaz but was thrown out for causing
problems
angry he waited outside until the party
was over then as diaz walked home the
woman's brother jumped him stabbing him
twice
the woman explained that she had kept
the secret to protect her brother a
secret that may or may not have been the
reason her brother committed suicide
years after the murder
today the ranch where jose diaz lived
and the sleepy lagoon reservoir where he
died are both long gone but his memory
and the story of the zoot suit riots
will be a part of history forever
[Music]
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