who support and sustain him.

The Press

The Press, the malevolent forces of yellow journalism that perpetuate feelings of Anglo racial superiority against Chicanos and incite injustices.

Adella
Refer to Della Barrios

Della Barrios
Henry's current girlfriend, aged twenty, is more attractive than his previous partner. She often wears a mini-skirt and a fingertip-length coat. Henry proposes to her at Sleepy Lagoon, promising to marry her after his Naval service. Despite not writing to Henry during his imprisonment, Della serves her own jail term due to her involvement in a gang fight, during which she could have written to him. When her parents demand she choose between her home and Henry, she opts to move into Henry's place and waits for him. Nevertheless, she does not pressurize Henry into the marriage expected by the gang, allowing him to decide for himself.

Alice Bloomfield
Alice, a reporter for the Daily People's World newspaper, leads the campaign for the gang's release. As a Jewish woman, she claims to empathize with their situation, driven by the historical oppression of her own people. Her temporary passion for Henry stems both from their shared political goals and their personal chemistry.

Judge F. W. Charles
Judge Charles presides over a biased case, dismissing legitimate objections from the gang's lawyer and imposing unfair restrictions. These include not allowing the boys to cut their hair, change their clothing, or sit with their attorney.

Cholo
A younger gang member, Cholo, is left behind after the arrests. One night, he and Rudy engage in brawls with the Anglos, with Rudy fighting while Cholo ensures the women are safe.

Downey Gang
This rival gang attends the dance, instigates fights, and later joins Rafas in terrorizing the party at the Williams Ranch.

Lieutenant Edwards
Lt. Edwards, a tough cop, informs the press that he refuses to "mollycoddle these youngsters anymore" as he arrests the gang. He unsuccessfully attempts to bribe Henry into betraying his gang members by offering him a timely release to report for Navy duty.

Guard
The Guard at San Quentin derogatorily calls the gang "greaseballs" and places Henry in solitary confinement for calling him a "bastard." He mimics reading the letters the boys receive while the writers narrate them. He represents the oppressive system rather than being an individual character.

Ismael
Refer to Smiley Torres

Newsboy
The newsboy sells the newspapers whose headlines advance the plot, providing the voice of the media.

El Pachuco
El Pachuco (pah-choo-ko) oversees the entire play, acting as Henry's alter ego. During the play's Brechtian moments, Pachuco interrupts the action or addresses the audience directly and also sings accompanying the action. El Pachuco embodies the quintessential Mexican-American pachuco figure: a zoot-suiter who is tough, cool, slick, and defiant. He speaks truthfully and is meticulous and vain about his appearance.

In a 1988 interview with David Savran, Valdez elaborated on the significance of El Pachuco: "The Pachuco is the Jungian self-image, the superego if you will, the power inside every individual that's greater than any human institution.... I dressed the Pachuco in the colors of Tezcatlipoca, the Aztec god of education, the dean of the school of hard knocks." El Pachuco reaches mythic dimensions when stripped of his zoot suit by the Anglo rioters. Clad only in a loincloth, he exudes a regal majesty as he exits the stage, walking backward. Upon his return, he refuses to accept the Press's grim prediction that Henry will be imprisoned again. At his urging, other characters envision different futures for Henry. He orchestrates the play's action and weaves the events of Henry's life.

Press
The Press serves as an antagonist in the play, with its headlines inciting the Anglos to riot and skewing public perception of the gang's innocence. When sailors taunt Rudy and the remaining gang members post-arrest, the Press provokes them further, labeling the zoot suiters as "gamin' dandies." Additionally, the Press assumes the unprecedented role of prosecutor during the trial, underscoring the media's harmful influence.

Rafas
Rafas, the leader of the Downey gang, shoves Rudy at the dance and engages in a knife fight with Henry. Although Henry gains the upper hand, El Pachuco stops him from killing Rafas. Humiliated, Rafas leads his Downey Gang to the Williams Ranch, where they terrorize the partygoers.

Dolores Reyna
Henry's mother, Dolores, is a traditional Mexican mother who playfully teases Henry about his zoot suit but allows him to wear it. However, she forbids her daughter from leaving the house in a short skirt, as it makes her look like a puta (whore). The trial devastates her, but she is overjoyed when her two sons return home—one from prison and one from the war. She believes the solution to Henry's troubles is to marry Della and discard his zoot suit.

Enrique Reyna
Henry's father, Enrique, is a first-generation Mexican American embodying traditional values of family, honesty, hard work, immense patience, and personal integrity. He wishes for his son to stay home and avoid the inevitable conflict with the police that could lead to Henry's re-arrest. Nonetheless, Enrique understands he cannot shield his son from the fate shaped by circumstances and Henry's own character.

Henry Reyna
Henry, the play's protagonist, is described as "twenty-one, dark, Indian-looking." He becomes the prime suspect in the murder of Jose Williams due to his leadership of the 38th Street gang. His arrest thwarts his plans to join the Navy, forcing him to confront the challenges of the barrio. His stoic resistance during interrogation results in a beating, and he realizes that, guilty or not, he will pay a steep price for his ethnic background and pachuco style.

Lupe Reyna
Henry's sixteen-year-old sister, Lupe, aspires to embrace the pachuca fashion, characterized by a short skirt and fingertip coat, but her parents strictly prohibit it.

Rudy Reyna
Henry's nineteen-year-old brother, Rudy, is eager to emulate Henry. He improvises a zoot suit from his father's old suit. At a dance, he drinks excessively and brawls with Rafas. Following mass arrests, Anglo sailors assault him and strip him of his zoot suit. He enlists in the war and returns as a hero.

George Shearer
George, a middle-aged public defender, is appointed by the courts to represent the pachucos. He is athletic, strong, competent, and deeply committed to his clients. He remains steadfast in defending Henry and the gang, ultimately securing their release despite being drafted and sent to war during a pivotal moment in the trial.

Sergeant Smith
Sgt. Smith is more ruthless than his partner, Lt. Edwards. Smith tells Edwards, "you can't treat these animals like people," and viciously beats Henry in an attempt to extract information about the Sleepy Lagoon murder. Smith embodies the oppressive attitudes of the anglo majority towards Hispanics.

Swabbie
Swabbie is an Anglo sailor who frequents the same dance hall as the pachucos. He is responsible for stripping El Pachuco of his zoot suit.

Smiley Torres
A twenty-three-year-old member of the 38th Street gang, Smiley co-founded the gang with Henry. Now married with a child, he regrets joining the pachucos after being arrested, feeling too old for the lifestyle of parties and jail.

Bertha Villareal
Henry's former girlfriend, Bertha, has a tattoo and is less attractive than Della. After Henry's imprisonment, Rudy starts dating her.