African back from Zoot Suit Riots (5)
I believe the answer is:
tutsi
'african' is the definition.
(the Tutsi are an African ethnic group)
'back from zoot suit riots' is the wordplay.
'back from' suggests the final letters (the letter at the back of the word).
'riots' indicates anagramming the letters.
The final letter of 'zoot' is 't'.
'suit' anagrammed gives 'utsi'.
't'+'utsi'='TUTSI'
(Other definitions for tutsi that I've seen before include "Rwandan group" , "Bantu speaking people of Rwanda and Burundi" , "Member of a Bantu people of Rwanda and Burundi" , "Rwandan people" , "Ethnic group of Rwanda and Burundi" .)