The promotion of women in the workplace was evident during World War II, but the zoot suit movement of young Chican@s forming their own unique society and social empowerment through fashion it was less evident. The introduction of the Chicana into the high-wage workforce of the United States represented an unprecedented step forward for the equality of Chicana workers. Chicanas worked alongside white men, while maintaining proud Chicana roots, neither American nor Mexican. During World War II, Americans planned to "unite the races" for the benefit of the war and uphold America's strict social standards. Rather than recognize the racial and cultural differences that are essential to personal meaning and ethnic identity/heritage, the Anglo-Saxons wanted to get rid of the so-called “castes” in favor of the Americanization of inferior nationalities. The Anglo-Saxons considered their cultural and social values superior and perceived the extinction of different cultures as a gift for their members. During this period, young Chicano workers furiously and brazenly donned “superior” clothing, defying gender roles by donning men's jackets and pompadours. They abandoned Mexican and American cultures and pissed off both worlds by forming their own empowering social movement. The Anglo-Saxons demonized the so-called Pachucas as “racial antagonists” instead of denouncing the true system dominated by the Anglo-Saxons. So, the Anglo conquest for racial/social domination was disguised as “can't we all get along?” (maintaining the racially unequal social norms that constitute the American default that is comfortable for Anglos). The repercussions for socioracial role confusion are always devastating and strongly highlighted in the Zoot Suit Riots. Zoot suits clearly challenged segregation. The Chicano elders and brothers went to war, leaving Chican@ yo...... center of the card ......dark, violent and irrational category of race and gender. Traditional Mexican families placed much value on their daughters' virgin status over racial “purity,” while Anglos followed the typical pattern of reproductive segregation, but with the façade of integration that was inadvertently cultural assimilation, or bigotry. Today, perceptions have changed for the worse. In Washington state, there is a constant influx of migrant workers who clash with their parents and society. Traditional values with Castilian roots early encourage large families. Calling women promiscuous and openly/publicly shaming them is no longer socially acceptable, however, women must assert sexuality to gain power in a male-dominated society that demands promiscuity. Still the target of Anglo-superior judgment, Chicanas are now required to sexualize rather than condemned for it.
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