Emiliano Zapata (August 8, 1879 – April 10, 1919)
Put forth on April 12, 2010 by XicanoPwr
Posted in History/Historia, Misc
Born August 8, 1879, Emiliano Zapata fought for land and liberty under his Plan of Ayala. The plan called for redistributing the land by seizing all land owned foreign owners and confiscating the land held by wealthy hacendada owners who were squeezing out indigenous communities by forcing them into debt slavery so they will work on their haciendas.
On April 10, 1919, Zapata was tricked into a meeting with Gen. Pablo González, who was supporter of the Mexican president, Venustiano Carranza. One of González’s men, Col. Jesús Guajardo, invited him to a meeting to inform Zapata he wanted to “switch sides.” As Zapata arrived to meet with Guajardo, he was riddled with bullets.
Zapata’s legacy as the champion for the poor is still not forgotten, nor are the beliefs he fought for, justice and agrarian reform, “Reforma, Libertad, Justicia y Ley!” (“Reform, Freedom, Justice and Law!”). He is not only seen as a national hero in Mexico, but also outside of Mexico. While many people focus on the influences American foreign policy had on Mexico, but it is hard to deny the influence people like Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa had on the Mexican American community. Viva Zapata!
Here are three short videos of describing the day Emiliano Zapata was murdered. (h/t Think Mexican)
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Tags: Emiliano Zapata, Mexican Americans, Raza | 
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This is the blog of Edmundo "XicanoPwr" Rocha, a social worker, an activist, freelance writer and founder and editor of The Sanctuary. My interests include: immigration reform, critical race theory and it's interaction with equality/inequality and freedom/oppression as they relate to the experiences of people of color in the Americas.
Para Justicia y Libertad is a Latino-centered political blog focusing on the humanistic perspective of politics, history, and society as they relate to the Latina/o community throughout Texas and the United States.
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