Nothing screams nineties more than the rave scene. Although these highly symbolic parties have existed for decades, it was in the last decade of the twentieth century when they reached their peak. It’s only human to reminisce on those crazy adolescent days. But what happens when part of your history, especially those important and formative years, disappears from the historical records? What if there’s no visual and attainable evidence of your essence and identity? That’s exactly what happens to many subcultures that have been forgotten by history because of the political and social associations they have. One example is the Latino rave scene of the early nineties, or even the Chicano experience itself.
This negative perception of Chicano culture has its origins in the Zoot Suit Riots that occurred during the forties, which were street conflicts between white American marines and soldiers and Mexican American Zoot Suiters, also known as Pachucos. Who was this group? During the twenties, there was a huge immigration wave in which thousands of Mexicans arrived to American territories in the south with the promise of safe jobs in the fields. However, when the Great Depression hit the nation, many of them were deported and persecuted. This began a huge negative campaign against Mexicans who were thought to be criminals who only stole from the good American people (sounds familiar?).
By the late thirties, these media campaigns, in which immigrants were derogatorily referred to as Chicanos, actually unleashed a sense of pride. They started celebrating their roots and identity, not as Mexicans or Americans, but as a culture that existed in between. Youths adopted a particular fashion style where they used lose suits (thus the name) and called themselves Pachucos. This new subculture, highly worshiped by them, added way much more negativity to the image of Mexican Americans, since now they were conceived as gangs of juvenile criminals and a danger to American people.
The Chicano community’s attempt to embrace their collective identity and history wasn’t stopped by the negativity and the riots that occurred during the forties, in which police officers started beating, stripping, and arresting anyone with Mexican features. Moreover, this only emboldened their desire to be recognized as a community. This continued until the sixties, when the Chicano movement started in a more formal way through literature and art that accompanied the many political demonstrations and organizations that fought for dignity, recognition, and rights. But that negativity never faded away.
Now, in this quest to search for remnants and examples of a part of history many Americans don’t know, there’s a very interesting photographic project conducted by Guadalupe Rosales. Several people share their moments and experiences as Latinos in the nineties LA party and life scene. Her Veteranas and Rucas collects many personal photographs of how life was perceived by Latinos within Chicano culture. Having personally experienced and being part of this underground scene, she saw how even her life separated from it and how she forgot (in a way) about this moment and culture.
Raves and parties organized by this group became the perfect environment to let young people be part of what Rosales calls “resistant cultural practices”, which ended up creating a sense of harmony and unity. Soon, these gatherings were stained by gang violence that ruptured the essence of a cultural movement. She herself suffered from this wave of violence that ended up taking the life of a very close cousin. This event made her want to leave her culture and traditions immediately. After fifteen years, she got interested in researching her story and the cultural importance of Mexican Americans in California, and so the project began.
These images are evidence of the marginalization of this minority group. Moreover, they show how what many would consider a record of the everyday life of this time is more a political and social dialogue that is so necessary nowadays.
If you want to know more about Guadalupe Rosales and her Veteranas and Rucas project, take a look at her Instagram account.
Here are some recommendations to explore the Mexican-American culture:
Fashion Lessons Selena Left Us In 20 Of Her Looks
The Illegal Mexican Who Became A WWI Hero
Source: Guadaupe Rosales