Newspaper
The newspaper is an element seen throughout the play. In every scene, the set design has some newspaper element, and the Press is in almost every scene. Luis Valdez employs the newspaper as a symbol of media and public opinion.
The Zoot Suit
The Zoot Suit is a symbol of a way of life for the 38th St. Gang. In the beginning, all the boys wear drapes, because that is how young Hispanic men were supposed to dress--no matter the consequence of being beaten up by white soldiers just for their clothes. The first scene opens with El Pachuco singing, "Put on a Zoot Suit! Makes you feel real root!" (Valdez 26). Yet, by the end of the play, after the boys return from prison, after their change of heart and lifestyle, they come home only to find that "the zoot suit died under fire here in Los" (92).