Response to Culture Research Paper

The research paper "From Zoot Suits to Hip Hop" by Luis Alvarez introduces and explains Chicano/a culture through historical events of the zoot suit era  of the 1940's. What I found most interesting about Chicano/a culture is their own unique identity. According to Alvarez "Among  the most available strategies for thousands of young Mexican Americans to claim dignity was to mobilize their physical bodies as the vehicle for a style that was all their own" ( Alvarez 5). The zoot suit style was very popular with in Mexican American teens. For the young Mexican Americans being rejected by the white dominant culture allowed them to create their own social environment. Alvarez states " Youth were drawn to the extensive social world that included zoot suits, jazz music and dancing, duck tails conk, and pompadour style hair cuts, and a unique speech patterns, a mix of English and Spanish known as calo Among Mexican Americans"    (Alvarez 6). The identity of young Mexican Americans was well notice by their calo language that developed due to assimilation between the Mexican and American languages. In the end the Chicano/a culture was the result of combining both Mexican and American cultures through new generation of Chicanos.