Rarely is there a documentary that embeds art and music to chronicle momentous episodes of Chicano history and culture that sparked a social movement, mobilized an ethnic community to confront racial indignities, and shed light on the impact and influence of a cultural icon. Noted playwright, co-founder of an unprecedented theatrical troupe, and an acclaimed movie director, Luis Valdez is the American Pachuco and the subject of the recently released expository by the same name.

It is noteworthy that Pachuco comes at a time when the National Park Service and American Smithsonian museums are diminishing exhibits on the contributions of ethnic and racial minorities, whitewashing multiculturalism, and dismissing dark periods in American history.

Valdez and Agustin Lira founded Teatro Campesino in 1965 to rally farmworkers during the Delano Grape Strike. Performing on flatbed trucks in labor camps, picket lines, and union halls the makeshift theatrical troupe mocked agriculture growers and their sheriff allies for the perpetual corruption of power. Using masks, cardboard signs, and simple props, the skits often maligned agribusinesses, scrupulous labor contractors, and exploitive agriculture growers with such nicknames as “Butts Anglo” (Buttes Oil), “Don Coyote”, and “Patroncito.” The Teatro’s satire poignantly placed farmworkers as the moral force for improved wages, the availability of drinking water and toilets, and the restriction of pesticides in the fields of California.

Zoot Suit Riots

The play Zoot Suit, written and directed by Valdez in 1978, brought Chicano history to Hollywood. When the play opened at the Mark Taper Forum, it quickly drew attention to pachucos as Mexican American youths resisting conformity and proclaiming their identity with unique dress and language. The infamous Zoot Suit riots during the early1940s pitted Los Angeles area Navy servicemen against Mexican descent young men who dressed flamboyantly in fashionable zoot suits. Many wore pleated pants, stylish pointed shoes, and long coats with wide lapels to express their pachuco subculture.

In 1943, pachucos were wrongfully portrayed in the media as gang members when a group of Navy servicemen on shore leave fought with local teenagers. Racial mob violence ensued as local sailors formed vigilante groups to invade neighborhoods and forcefully strip the zoot suit clothing from Mexican American youths as if to rob their cultural ethnicity. The widely popular Zoot Suit play imagined actor James Edward Olmos as the alter ego protagonist for Chicano youth identity and resistance.

La Bamba and Los Lobos

The documentary shifts from history to music and culture with Valdez’ cinematic treatment of La Bamba. Released in 1987, the widely acclaimed La Bamba brought to theaters across the country, the story of 17-year old Richie Valens, who pioneered the fusion of Mexican folk music with early rock and roll. Killed in a plane crash, the youthful Valens is credited for giving rebirth to Latino music in the late 1950s. Indeed, the soundtrack to La Bamba heavily features Grammy Award winning Los Lobos, an east Los Angeles rock group whose rich blend of music include corridos (ballads), cumbias (traditional dance rhythms), and Tex-Mex. It’s as if Valdez chose Los Lobos to reclaim the cultural turf of the Zoot Suit riots by never abandoning their roots with music of hope and resilience.

While Valdez is rightly heralded for his passionate commitment to expose injustices through the arts and music, it can be argued that the historical reach of Pachuco transcends the embodiment of one man. Yet Valdez’ genius is his ability to orchestrate through plays and film Latino history as American history.

In biting theatrics, Teatro provoked visceral truths about the exploitation of farmworkers. Zoot Suit harkens the time when Latinos resisted disparaging racial characterizations by the local media and perpetuated by military servicemen. The song La Bamba, played at many quinceaneras, weddings, and festivals continues to represent the Chicano anthem for cultural pride and dignity.

Valdez’ legend is his bold and defiant artistry. His accounts of Chicano history will live long after any presidential decree to erase it. For this, Valdez is celebrated as the father of Chicano theater and playwriting and uniquely earns the title of America Pachuco.

About the Author

Paul A. Garcia of Fresno is the author of the recently released Tom Joad Never Died: Gilbert Padilla’s Contributions to the National Farm Workers Movement, published by La Raza Historical Society.

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