Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Los Angeles becomes a hotbed of fear and hate. At the same time, a new generation of young Mexican Americans, Spurred by the liberations of the Jazz age, increasingly participate in popular culture, going to hot spots and night clubs dominated by white people. The concern over this newly emboldened Zoot-suit-clad community transforms overnight into fully fledged moral panic as hysterical reports circulate of violent gangs, robberies and knife attacks.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Los Angeles becomes a hotbed of fear and hate. At the same time, a new generation of young Mexican Americans, Spurred by the liberations of the Jazz age, increasingly participate in popular culture, going to hot spots and night clubs dominated by white people. The concern over this newly emboldened Zoot-suit-clad community transforms overnight into fully fledged moral panic as hysterical reports circulate of violent gangs, robberies and knife attacks.