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From Coveralls to Zoot Suits: The Lives of Mexican American Women on the World War II Home Front
From Coveralls to Zoot Suits( The Lives of Mexican American Women on the World War II Home Front) Hardcover ElizabethRachelEscobedo UniversityofNorthCarolinaPress
229 pages, Hardcover
First published March 21, 2013
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195 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 20, 2021
This novel had very great and compelling information. However, the constant repetition was unnecessary and made reading this mind numbingly dull.
July 13, 2019
Escobedo highlights how some Mexican American women adopted the "pachuca" image by donning "zoot suits" and rejecting the white middle class social mores. The pachuca challenged societal and familial norms by creating an affirming vision of racialized womanhood; dangerous sexuality required restraint; the women faced both new social opportunities and stigmas. Accordingly, the pachucas served to promote the Mexican American challenge to traditional roles of both Anglo and Mexican society. Escobedo relies upon oral history "stories at home" and "stories at school" ( oral lived history, vernacular history vs. the official history and finds that WWII was simultaneously liberating and limiting for Mexican American women in Southern California. Well written, interesting, concise, and easy to read with lots of images !
June 27, 2019
This book is amazing. I'm so grateful to the author for interviewing these women and collecting this knowledge. I learned so much about my people's contributions to the Second World War.
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September 28, 2017I have rather mixed thoughts on this book. In short, it offers the perspective of panchuca women who were experiencing liberation and earning wages for the first time during the war. It's well researched, however I found many passages to be same the information being regurgitated. I didn't find this book to be particularly groundbreaking, and I'm still not sure what Zoot Suit riot was. With that being said, this book was highly researched and the narrative of these women being too "white" to relate to the minority issues of African Americans, but too "ethnic" to be accepted by European women was really well done.
August 23, 2021
An interesting read, I just ran out of time.
September 24, 2014
I don't read many academic works, but when I spotted this on the new book shelf at the library, I grabbed it. This is a small book, but it packs a wallop. Despite its scholarly tone, it is highly readable and, in parts, even entertaining, especially when Escobedo describes the Zoot Suit era and style. It opened my eyes to the history and lives of Mexican American women at the home front during World War II. The War changed their workplace and personal lives and the lives of future generations of Mexican American women, for the better.
As Mexican American women entered the workforce to fill jobs, previously held by men, in the military defense industry, it gave them a sense of respectability, independence and equality. Escobedo writes, ". . . the World War II workplace appears to have provided women of Mexican descent with a 'temporary refuge' from racism. Given their ambiguous racial status, in combination with the fact that war work was often perceived as an impermanent situation for America's women, Mexican women garnered a certain level of reputability on the wartime factory floor."
In the epilogue, Escobedo discusses the controversy that ensued at the exclusion of the Latino contribution in the WWII documentary The War, produced by Ken Burns. Latinos were excluded despite their significant contributions on the frontlines and at the home front. Escobedo concludes with this powerful statement: "Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned from the Burns controversy is the fact that if we don't tell history in a way that makes the stories of previously overlooked populations visible, these stories are forever lost." Escobedo's story of Mexican American women's contributions to the war effort is meticulously researched and told with clarity.
As Mexican American women entered the workforce to fill jobs, previously held by men, in the military defense industry, it gave them a sense of respectability, independence and equality. Escobedo writes, ". . . the World War II workplace appears to have provided women of Mexican descent with a 'temporary refuge' from racism. Given their ambiguous racial status, in combination with the fact that war work was often perceived as an impermanent situation for America's women, Mexican women garnered a certain level of reputability on the wartime factory floor."
In the epilogue, Escobedo discusses the controversy that ensued at the exclusion of the Latino contribution in the WWII documentary The War, produced by Ken Burns. Latinos were excluded despite their significant contributions on the frontlines and at the home front. Escobedo concludes with this powerful statement: "Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned from the Burns controversy is the fact that if we don't tell history in a way that makes the stories of previously overlooked populations visible, these stories are forever lost." Escobedo's story of Mexican American women's contributions to the war effort is meticulously researched and told with clarity.
February 5, 2025
Read for class.
In the book From Coveralls to Zoot Suits: The Lives of Mexican American Women on the World War II Home Front Elizabeth Escobedo, Escobedo explores the lives of Mexican American women in the workforce during World War II. She centers her approach by looking at the topics of Mexican American women in wartime media, Mexican American women in defense work, Mexican American women in wartime leisure, and Mexican American women in the post-war era. Escobedo argues, “From Coveralls to Zoot Suits thus underscores the changing politics of race in the twentieth-century United States, illuminating the ways in which wartime conditions and racial liberalism both opened and closed doors for Mexican American women, depending largely upon their perceived behavior.”
In the beginning of the book Escobedo lays out the roles and expectations of Mexican American women during the war and how it shaped their influence on society. Escobedo describes zoot suiters, also known as pachuca, Mexican American women who defied social norms and stepped outside the perceived boundaries of femininity. Escobedo shows the difficult position that pachuca were put in when she states, “the pronounced presence of any young Mexican American woman deemed a pachuca threatened visions of familial stability, racial uplift, and racial unity and therefore rendered her a stigmatized outsider in the Mexican home and U.S. society.” Understanding the country’s view on Mexican American women during this period is important because it shapes how they behaved during the time and how that behavior was viewed.
Throughout the rest of the book Escobedo examines Mexican American women and their relationship with the war workforce. For many women, the war offered an opportunity for them to get a job and provide for their family. Many of these jobs were highly skilled like that of a riveter or wing driller. Although women and their work was valued during the war, things shifted as the war came to an end. Opportunities for women to work decreased drastically and discriminatory workforce policies remained. However, Mexican American women redefined their roles in society during the post-war period by proving that they could both celebrate their heritage and to be loyal Americans. World War II opened the door for them to advance a fuller sense of citizenship.
One thing that Escobedo did especially well in her book was highlight the importance of studying Mexican American women in World War II. In Chapter Five and the epilogue, Escobedo detailed the post-war life of Mexican Americans and how things began to change. It is because of this thorough description in the conclusion of the book that Escobedo is able to create a strong argument. She shows not only why her book provides an unique historical perspective, but why writing the history of these women is so important. Mexican American women played a very influential role in the war and the stories of these women would likely be forgotten had it not been for the work of Escobedo.
In the book From Coveralls to Zoot Suits: The Lives of Mexican American Women on the World War II Home Front Elizabeth Escobedo, Escobedo explores the lives of Mexican American women in the workforce during World War II. She centers her approach by looking at the topics of Mexican American women in wartime media, Mexican American women in defense work, Mexican American women in wartime leisure, and Mexican American women in the post-war era. Escobedo argues, “From Coveralls to Zoot Suits thus underscores the changing politics of race in the twentieth-century United States, illuminating the ways in which wartime conditions and racial liberalism both opened and closed doors for Mexican American women, depending largely upon their perceived behavior.”
In the beginning of the book Escobedo lays out the roles and expectations of Mexican American women during the war and how it shaped their influence on society. Escobedo describes zoot suiters, also known as pachuca, Mexican American women who defied social norms and stepped outside the perceived boundaries of femininity. Escobedo shows the difficult position that pachuca were put in when she states, “the pronounced presence of any young Mexican American woman deemed a pachuca threatened visions of familial stability, racial uplift, and racial unity and therefore rendered her a stigmatized outsider in the Mexican home and U.S. society.” Understanding the country’s view on Mexican American women during this period is important because it shapes how they behaved during the time and how that behavior was viewed.
Throughout the rest of the book Escobedo examines Mexican American women and their relationship with the war workforce. For many women, the war offered an opportunity for them to get a job and provide for their family. Many of these jobs were highly skilled like that of a riveter or wing driller. Although women and their work was valued during the war, things shifted as the war came to an end. Opportunities for women to work decreased drastically and discriminatory workforce policies remained. However, Mexican American women redefined their roles in society during the post-war period by proving that they could both celebrate their heritage and to be loyal Americans. World War II opened the door for them to advance a fuller sense of citizenship.
One thing that Escobedo did especially well in her book was highlight the importance of studying Mexican American women in World War II. In Chapter Five and the epilogue, Escobedo detailed the post-war life of Mexican Americans and how things began to change. It is because of this thorough description in the conclusion of the book that Escobedo is able to create a strong argument. She shows not only why her book provides an unique historical perspective, but why writing the history of these women is so important. Mexican American women played a very influential role in the war and the stories of these women would likely be forgotten had it not been for the work of Escobedo.
July 27, 2022
I rated this three-star not because it was terrible. It was lacking. I wish the author had organized her structure and outline for the book more thoughtfully because I read this for my college History class. The history itself was incredible to read, and a crucial part of history is not discussed enough. It centered on the micro-history of Mexican-America, which was refreshing to read since most U.S. history taught in the class centers on Euro-American history. It’s far from perfect, and I wish it weren’t repetitive. However, I gained good information, so overall it wasn’t bad.
May 15, 2023
I loved this book! The pictures were wonderful and these women's stories were personal and very glad they've been written down for posterity. As a Mexican-American woman growing up in East Los Angeles, a lot of this hit home. First generation on my father's side, 3rd on my mother's but it being a patriarchal household - I felt exactly like how the author said (yes. even years later. I was born in 1968). Thank you for the research and the love you put into this book. I found this a relatively easy read and the photos were a great illustration to the manner of dress, the look, the life.
June 8, 2014
This book fills a void in World War II history and ended way too soon.
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April 24, 2015305.86872 E746 2013
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews