1. Topic Selection I am interested in the origins of the zoot suit and how it became popular among Mexican American youth. 2. Why This Topic? This topic is important to me since I think if I found out where the zoot suit came from, I would learn what made them so fashionable to teens back then. As well I think it would also relate to people now as trends and fads grow and die, It would be interesting in seeing the similarities these fads have to today. 3. Connection to Chicano Studies Identity Culture Power / Resistance Community I feel I can connect my topic with identity, since most teens then must have thought of their zoot suit as a part of their identity, the same way some edgars think of their hair cut. Then Culture, since the zoot suit was a huge part of parties and the culture in a lot of areas. I think it also relates to power and resistance because many adults and the government saw zoot suiters as rebellious or dangerous, especially during World War II. Lastly I think that people who wore zoot suits would have a stronger connection with strangers they saw, who also had a zoot suit as well. 4. Guiding Question or Argument How did the zoot suit become popular among Mexican American youth, and why did it become a symbol of resistance and identity? 5. Initial Sources A Brief History of the Zoot Suit Los Angeles Geopolitics and the Zoot Suit Riot 1943 How the Zoot Suit Got So Much Swag | American Experience 6. Research The origins of the zootsuit, and how it gained popularity. Was it something old that got picked up by teens? Is there someone really influential that started it? I also want to learn why society reacted so negatively to zoot suiters and how it became connected to race, and discrimination during that time period. 7. Challenges or Questions (Optional) What concerns or questions do you have about your topic? It might be too small of a topic for me to write about. Though I think I can manage 5 pages though