Henry Leyvas was born on April 24, 1923 in Tucson, Arizona. Seeking political refugee from the turbulent revolution in Mexico, Henry’s parents migrated to Arizona in December 1919. Henry was one of the eldest of ten children raised by Guadalupe Reyes and Seferino Gamino in Los Angeles. Growing up in the Long Beach area, Henry experienced several confrontations with the Los Angeles police. His first serious encounter with the LAPD resulted in three days in jail for alleged car theft, Leyvas and his brother Sef were not released until their father proved ownership of the car. On a separate encounter the Leyvas brothers were detained for three months for assault with a deadly weapon, then cleared on all charges. Leyvas’ adolescent years continued to be plagued by run-ins with the law. He was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, assault and battery, fighting, and even picked up for loitering. On one occasion Henry Leyvas was charged with assault and battery upon finishing a jail sentence, despite the crime taking place during the time of his incarceration. A year before the Sleepy Lagoon trial Leyvas was accused of being involved in a violent fight in Santa Barbara. The police presented the court with witnesses that claimed Leyvas’ was at fault for the fight, but the defense disproved them and Leyvas was freed.
The events of the night of August 1, 1942 were used by Los Angeles police as an opportunity to finally suppress the presence of Mexican youth on the streets, Henry Leyvas found himself to be their prime target. On that night Henry Leyvas, his girlfriend, and a group of kids from the 38th Street neighborhood were at “Sleepy Lagoon”, a local swimming hole that turned into a popular hangout spot at night. Henry and his girlfriend were approached by a car filled with boys from the Downey neighborhood that began shouting at the couple. After the shouting match the boys got out of their vehicle and started beating them. Leyvas’ friends arrived to help, but were outnumbered and the boys returned to 38th Street to seek reinforcement. Leyvas and a bigger group of kids went back to “Sleepy Lagoon” to enact revenge on the Downey boys only to find the area deserted. The 38th Street group then headed to a nearby birthday party at the Delgadillo residence believing that they would run into the Downey boys there. An intense fight ensued when the boys arrived at the Delgadillo’s that lasted about ten minutes. The altercation disbanded when someone yelled that the police had been contacted. Among the most seriously injured was a partygoer named José Díaz. Díaz died early that morning. The police took the initiative to use the crime as means of brandishing their force in the community and targeting Mexican youth, whom they believed to be dangerous and the cause for all the violence that ensued.
The Los Angeles police began to seize young Mexican youth off the streets in the search of suspects. Twenty adolescents were put on trial for the murder of José Díaz, most of the defendants were young Mexican-Americans. People v. Zammora became the largest mass trial in the history of the state of California. Actions of the police, prosecutors, and Judge Charles Ficke during the trial revealed significant bias. The judge ruled that the boys could not wash themselves and had to wear the same clothes they were arrested in. The boys’ lawyers were not allowed to sit or counsel them during the trial. Despite efforts from the defense team, Judge Ficke and the prosecutors referred to the defendants as “gang members” and labeled Henry Leyvas as their leader. The trial continued until January 12, 1943 when the final verdict was reached. Seventeen boys were assigned severe punishments. Leyvas and two other defendants were found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
During the trial the media generally portrayed the defendants as uneducated, belligerent, filthy, delinquents that were out of control. December Senasation magazine published an account of the murder and “Mexican gangs” by Chief of Criminal Division of the Sheriff’s Office. While the boys were incarcerated violence against Mexican Americans was rampant on the streets of Los Angeles. Young men were attacked by servicemen and civilians who presumed them to be gang members and juvenile delinquents. The vigilante servicemen and citizens targeted Mexican youth that sported zoot suits all over the city in June of 1943. Los Angeles media antagonized and helped criminalize zoot suiters, primarily Mexican American youth. Article titles referred to zoot suiters as “hoodlums” and “juveniles” and also associated them with gangs. In one article published on June 9, 1943 in the Los Angeles Daily News the headline reads “Nazis Spur Zoot Riots”. The media defended the unjust rulings of Judge Charles Ficke during the trial. For example, when the judge ruled that the defendants were not allowed to change clothes or get a haircut an article published on The Los Angeles Examiner justified the ruling by stating that the haircut and clothes were necessary in the “identification of hoodlum suspects”. The media defended the vigilante actions of servicemen by reporting that the men were simply retaliating to the violence of Mexican-Americans boys, and justly protecting their wives and neighborhoods.
Newspaper articles that linked Mexican American Zoot suiters with gangs and crime were published next to articles of patriotism and war efforts. Readers began to associate the cleaning of Zoot suiters from the streets with the cleansing of Anti-American and communist ideals. Several citizens believed that by participating in Zoot Suit Riots they were fulfilling their responsibility in the war effort. Fear of immigrants and different ethnicities rose during world war 2. Several Americans thought that Zoot suiters were being controlled and used as spy tools by the Axis Alliance. The wartime draft greatly reduced the police force in the 1940s. Concerns that the Los Angeles Police Department could not maintain peace spiked when a Mexican American crowd overpowered policemen that tried to disband a craps game on July 27, 1942.
Media coverage that criminalized Zoot Suit wearing Mexican youth, sparked communist paranoia by world war 2 and the need for Los Angeles police to prove their power all played a prominent role in the “Sleepy Lagoon” murder trial. Henry Leyvas’ domineering physical appearance and willingness to fight back ultimately made him the prime target. The ending of People v. Zammora sparked a series of violent confrontations between zoot suiters and servicemen that came to be known as the Zoot Suit Riots. Henry Leyvas was a prime example of how Mexican Americans and other minorities were criminalized and not tolerated in American society during the early twentieth century.
The events of the night of August 1, 1942 were used by Los Angeles police as an opportunity to finally suppress the presence of Mexican youth on the streets, Henry Leyvas found himself to be their prime target. On that night Henry Leyvas, his girlfriend, and a group of kids from the 38th Street neighborhood were at “Sleepy Lagoon”, a local swimming hole that turned into a popular hangout spot at night. Henry and his girlfriend were approached by a car filled with boys from the Downey neighborhood that began shouting at the couple. After the shouting match the boys got out of their vehicle and started beating them. Leyvas’ friends arrived to help, but were outnumbered and the boys returned to 38th Street to seek reinforcement. Leyvas and a bigger group of kids went back to “Sleepy Lagoon” to enact revenge on the Downey boys only to find the area deserted. The 38th Street group then headed to a nearby birthday party at the Delgadillo residence believing that they would run into the Downey boys there. An intense fight ensued when the boys arrived at the Delgadillo’s that lasted about ten minutes. The altercation disbanded when someone yelled that the police had been contacted. Among the most seriously injured was a partygoer named José Díaz. Díaz died early that morning. The police took the initiative to use the crime as means of brandishing their force in the community and targeting Mexican youth, whom they believed to be dangerous and the cause for all the violence that ensued.
The Los Angeles police began to seize young Mexican youth off the streets in the search of suspects. Twenty adolescents were put on trial for the murder of José Díaz, most of the defendants were young Mexican-Americans. People v. Zammora became the largest mass trial in the history of the state of California. Actions of the police, prosecutors, and Judge Charles Ficke during the trial revealed significant bias. The judge ruled that the boys could not wash themselves and had to wear the same clothes they were arrested in. The boys’ lawyers were not allowed to sit or counsel them during the trial. Despite efforts from the defense team, Judge Ficke and the prosecutors referred to the defendants as “gang members” and labeled Henry Leyvas as their leader. The trial continued until January 12, 1943 when the final verdict was reached. Seventeen boys were assigned severe punishments. Leyvas and two other defendants were found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
During the trial the media generally portrayed the defendants as uneducated, belligerent, filthy, delinquents that were out of control. December Senasation magazine published an account of the murder and “Mexican gangs” by Chief of Criminal Division of the Sheriff’s Office. While the boys were incarcerated violence against Mexican Americans was rampant on the streets of Los Angeles. Young men were attacked by servicemen and civilians who presumed them to be gang members and juvenile delinquents. The vigilante servicemen and citizens targeted Mexican youth that sported zoot suits all over the city in June of 1943. Los Angeles media antagonized and helped criminalize zoot suiters, primarily Mexican American youth. Article titles referred to zoot suiters as “hoodlums” and “juveniles” and also associated them with gangs. In one article published on June 9, 1943 in the Los Angeles Daily News the headline reads “Nazis Spur Zoot Riots”. The media defended the unjust rulings of Judge Charles Ficke during the trial. For example, when the judge ruled that the defendants were not allowed to change clothes or get a haircut an article published on The Los Angeles Examiner justified the ruling by stating that the haircut and clothes were necessary in the “identification of hoodlum suspects”. The media defended the vigilante actions of servicemen by reporting that the men were simply retaliating to the violence of Mexican-Americans boys, and justly protecting their wives and neighborhoods.
Newspaper articles that linked Mexican American Zoot suiters with gangs and crime were published next to articles of patriotism and war efforts. Readers began to associate the cleaning of Zoot suiters from the streets with the cleansing of Anti-American and communist ideals. Several citizens believed that by participating in Zoot Suit Riots they were fulfilling their responsibility in the war effort. Fear of immigrants and different ethnicities rose during world war 2. Several Americans thought that Zoot suiters were being controlled and used as spy tools by the Axis Alliance. The wartime draft greatly reduced the police force in the 1940s. Concerns that the Los Angeles Police Department could not maintain peace spiked when a Mexican American crowd overpowered policemen that tried to disband a craps game on July 27, 1942.
Media coverage that criminalized Zoot Suit wearing Mexican youth, sparked communist paranoia by world war 2 and the need for Los Angeles police to prove their power all played a prominent role in the “Sleepy Lagoon” murder trial. Henry Leyvas’ domineering physical appearance and willingness to fight back ultimately made him the prime target. The ending of People v. Zammora sparked a series of violent confrontations between zoot suiters and servicemen that came to be known as the Zoot Suit Riots. Henry Leyvas was a prime example of how Mexican Americans and other minorities were criminalized and not tolerated in American society during the early twentieth century.