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Feb 17, 2020Twiggzette rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This film is mainly famous for the superb, angry performance of Edward James Olomos as "El Pachuco." He was truly magnificent in his role. Angry, defiant, and totally opposed to White oppression. Still, the movie was biased to make it appear as the Pachuco zoot suiters were just victims of unjustified White racial bias. That is a lie. If you study WWII in LA and NYC, the situations were far more complex than presented by this simplistic movie. Pachucos hated Anglo oppression, and many Pachucos especially hated being drafted to die in an Anglo War that had nothing to do with them, their families, their friends, or their culture. So, they dodged the WWII draft by engaging in outrageous behavior that would result in minor felony convictions that would make them "unfit for military service". Anglos who supported their GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR viciously attacked them for their open defiance, and arrested them as attackers and not just victims. Vicious Fascist nationalism ran deep win White USA during WWII. Actually, Vicious Fascist White Nationalism runs rampant during mr tRUMP's vile Fascist occupation of the USA. Destroy the monster. Personally, I identify with the Pachuco defiance of draft. While at university, I was a Closet Draft Dodger. In grad school with no student deferment, I dodged the draft at great personal expense by faking a medical disability for two long years. BUT, unlike the Pacuhcos, I kept a very low profile knowing that it would protect me from the "worst militaristic impulses" of my Fascist Draft board. The poor Pachucos had to get arrested and convicted of minor felonies. All I had to do was to hide my hatred, look "conservative", and be "underweight for the draft" --- e.g, starve myself for two long years.