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El Pachuco
Alice Bloomfield is a reporter and activist who is eager to counter the predominant narrative about the Chicano community in the press. To do this, she introduces herself to Henry while he’s in prison, telling him that she wants to write a piece about him. However, Henry is hesitant to talk to Alice because he doesn’t see how she could possibly help him. Consequently, Alice explains that she has always wanted to learn about the Chicano community because she grew up in Los Angeles but never encountered many Chicanos. By saying this, she shows Henry that she is genuinely invested in learning about his culture and supporting him in an organic way that is actually based on what he and his friends need or want. At the same time, though, Alice isn’t always so good at offering her support in ways that don’t overshadow the people for whom she hopes to advocate. This becomes evident by her harsh reaction to the idea of Henry dropping out of the appeal. Losing sight of the fact that Henry can make his own decisions, Alice tells him he can’t drop out of the case because she has put so much work into the entire cause, thereby giving him the impression that he owes her something when, in reality, he never asked for her support. Thankfully, though, Alice and Henry patch things up when Henry sees just how much she cares about him and his wellbeing. In turn, Alice’s commitment to helping Henry becomes an example of the ways in which advocacy can get interpersonally complicated and messy.
Alice Bloomfield Quotes in Zoot Suit
The Zoot Suit quotes below are all either spoken by Alice Bloomfield or refer to Alice Bloomfield. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1, Scene 8: El Día de la Raza
Quotes
ALICE: I’m talking about you, Henry Reyna. And what the regular press has been saying. Are you aware you’re in here just because some bigshot up in San Simeon wants to sell more papers? It’s true.
HENRY: So?
ALICE: So, he’s the man who started this Mexican Crime Wave stuff. Then the police got into the act. Get the picture?
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ALICE: Believe it or not, I was born in Los Angeles just like you. But for some strange reason I grew up here, not knowing very much about Mexicans at all. I’m just trying to learn.
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Act 2, Scene 2: The Letters
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TOMMY: […] I don’t want to be treated any different than the rest of the batos, see? And don’t expect me to talk to you like some square Anglo [...]. You just better find out what it means to be Chicano, and it better be pretty damn quick.
[…]
I also know that I’m in here just be cause I hung around with Mexicans ... or pachucos. Well, just remember this, Alicia ... I grew up right alongside most of these batos, and I’m pachuco too.
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Act 2, Scene 3: The Incorrigible Pachuco
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HENRY: […] You think you can just move in and defend anybody you feel like? When did I ever ask you to start a defense committee for me? Or a newspaper? Or a fundraising drive and all that other shit? I don’t need defending, esa. I can take care of myself.
ALICE: But what about the trial, the sentence. They gave you life imprisonment?
HENRY: It’s my life!
ALICE: Henry, honestly—are you kidding me?
HENRY: You think so?
ALICE: But you’ve seen me coming and going. Writing to you, speaking for you, traveling up and down the state. You must have known I was doing it for you. Nothing has come before my involvement, my attachment, my passion for this case. My boys have been everything to me.
HENRY: My boys? My boys! What the hell are we—your personal property? Well, let me set you straight, lady, I ain’t your boy.
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Act 2, Scene 6: Zoot Suit Riots
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PRESS: Henry Reyna went back to prison in 1947 for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. While incarcerated, he killed another inmate and he wasn’t released until 1955, when he got into hard drugs. He died of the trauma of his life in 1972.
PACHUCO: That’s the way you see it, ese. But there’s other way[s] to end this story.
RUDY: Henry Reyna went to Korea in 1950. He was shipped across in a destroyer and defended the 38th Parallel until he was killed at Inchon in 1952, being posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
ALICE: Henry Reyna married Della in 1948 and they have five kids, three of them now going to the University, speaking calo and calling themselves Chicanos.
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Alice Bloomfield Quotes in Zoot Suit
The Zoot Suit quotes below are all either spoken by Alice Bloomfield or refer to Alice Bloomfield. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1, Scene 8: El Día de la Raza
Quotes
ALICE: I’m talking about you, Henry Reyna. And what the regular press has been saying. Are you aware you’re in here just because some bigshot up in San Simeon wants to sell more papers? It’s true.
HENRY: So?
ALICE: So, he’s the man who started this Mexican Crime Wave stuff. Then the police got into the act. Get the picture?
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
ALICE: Believe it or not, I was born in Los Angeles just like you. But for some strange reason I grew up here, not knowing very much about Mexicans at all. I’m just trying to learn.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 2: The Letters
Quotes
TOMMY: […] I don’t want to be treated any different than the rest of the batos, see? And don’t expect me to talk to you like some square Anglo [...]. You just better find out what it means to be Chicano, and it better be pretty damn quick.
[…]
I also know that I’m in here just be cause I hung around with Mexicans ... or pachucos. Well, just remember this, Alicia ... I grew up right alongside most of these batos, and I’m pachuco too.
Related Characters:
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Page Number and Citation:
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Act 2, Scene 3: The Incorrigible Pachuco
Quotes
HENRY: […] You think you can just move in and defend anybody you feel like? When did I ever ask you to start a defense committee for me? Or a newspaper? Or a fundraising drive and all that other shit? I don’t need defending, esa. I can take care of myself.
ALICE: But what about the trial, the sentence. They gave you life imprisonment?
HENRY: It’s my life!
ALICE: Henry, honestly—are you kidding me?
HENRY: You think so?
ALICE: But you’ve seen me coming and going. Writing to you, speaking for you, traveling up and down the state. You must have known I was doing it for you. Nothing has come before my involvement, my attachment, my passion for this case. My boys have been everything to me.
HENRY: My boys? My boys! What the hell are we—your personal property? Well, let me set you straight, lady, I ain’t your boy.
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Act 2, Scene 6: Zoot Suit Riots
Quotes
PRESS: Henry Reyna went back to prison in 1947 for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. While incarcerated, he killed another inmate and he wasn’t released until 1955, when he got into hard drugs. He died of the trauma of his life in 1972.
PACHUCO: That’s the way you see it, ese. But there’s other way[s] to end this story.
RUDY: Henry Reyna went to Korea in 1950. He was shipped across in a destroyer and defended the 38th Parallel until he was killed at Inchon in 1952, being posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
ALICE: Henry Reyna married Della in 1948 and they have five kids, three of them now going to the University, speaking calo and calling themselves Chicanos.
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