Assumption at 0, Emiliano Zapata

By: Joshua Quiroz

Being born from Mexican parents I have been taught not only the history of the United States, but also the history of Mexico. I remember that my parents would argue and debate which state was better, Guadalajara (Mom’s side) or Morelos (Dad’s side). Then I remember that my dad mentioned a man’s name that contributed a lot to the revolution. That man’s name was Emiliano Zapata.

As I went to school I learned about world history and U.S. history, yet when it came to revolutions from countries that name kept coming up but was vaguely mentioned. I’ve known a lot of history of how the United States became a country, that was all I was being taught for most of the time in middle school. Quite frankly I was getting tired of being told that this country was the best for what they did and all that sugar coating they put on things.

It wasn’t until my Sophomore year in high school when I began to question this mans role in the revolution. I was in Spanish and someone had done the history of the Mexican Revolution, and the person kept on going about Pancho Villa and what he did. Eventually everything was covered except for that man that my dad had mentioned in his debates with my mom. So I asked the person if they had anything on Emiliano Zapata, they responded with a no. This got me to wonder even more than ever.

I got home later that day and my dad was hanging pictures and he hanged this portrait of a man in a proud stance with a weapon in his hand, with words on the bottom reading, Tierra y Libertad and I asked my dad who was that and my dad answered, “Mi General” (My General). I wondered why my dad had mentioned him as his general, as far as I know my dad can’t be that old. So I went on and asked why he called him his general and he told me what he had done to deserve such a name. He turned out to be the military leader of the revolution.

Many people when asked about the Mexican Revolution automatically think,Pancho Villa yet many people forget about everyone else and including the other man who actually started the movement of the revolution, Emiliano Zapata. The times I have been told about the revolution, they cover only things that most people know, like Pancho Villa and maybe Francisco Madero. Answers like that to me is not enough, that’s a major event that occurred to a culture that I fall into. There are events and questions that need to be answered. Things like that made me interested in finding out more about him and the event in general.

I want to find out more because there is always more than meets the eye of any person. I know he helped the revolution along with becoming very well known around Mexico. What I do know also is that he was betrayed by his own followers when he was murdered, and he was also known for the saying Tierra y Libertad. To me, knowing more of one of my dad’s biggest role model for what he did for Mexico is not only challenging but also very honorable and accomplishing knowing the full life of one of Mexico’s most influential general during the revolution.

By doing this I can not only research about Zapata, but even answer some questions that I have in my head, like for example how was zapata able to get very well known knowledge to train and have an army against the enemy. Another question I had was if he had any influence to stand up or any influence at all that guided the way he lived. Not only asking questions is what makes me wanting to be interested in learning about him, but also I can see by researching what he saw and put myself into his shoes and see why he made the choices he made, that’s what makes the project even more interesting and why it makes him an even more interesting character in the 20th century.