Historical Context: June, 1943

The Oasis Theatre in Hermiston, Oregon offered a full bill for the month of June, 1943: Sixteen full-length movies. On June 29th, it was Reveille with Beverly, a musical/comedy that featured popular current bands and singers, including the very popular — but little known today — Ella May Morse and her hit “Cow Cow Boogie.” Also on the bill was a new crooner named Frank Sinatra.

Historically on June 3, 1943, white U.S. servicemen and police officers descended upon a majority-Mexican American neighborhood in East Los Angeles, California, and harassed, beat, and detained hundreds of Mexican American youth. The violent event will be known as the Zoot Suit Riots because of the distinctive clothing — wide lapels, high waisted and billowing  pants — worn by the youth and protested by the rioters.