The Revolt of the Cockroach People
Encyclopedia
The Revolt of the Cockroach People is a novel by Oscar Zeta Acosta
. The novel is a semi-autobiographical fictionalized account of the August 29, 1970 Chicano Moratorium
, a mass protest of the Vietnam War
. In addition to political protest, the characters engage in insurrection against religious, educational, and legal systems. During the Moratorium, demonstrations are held while buildings are bombed and people die. The protagonist, Buffalo Zeta Brown, represents the rioters who were indicted unjustly but attracted media to make Latino
s aware of their social condition. Eventually, the pressures from the court, the community, and his life become too overwhelming, and Buffalo Zeta Brown loses his mind. The title of this novel and its references to "cockroaches" is often thought of as a metaphor for society's undesirables, particularly minorities, and their constant presence.
Oscar Zeta Acosta
Oscar Zeta Acosta was an American attorney, politician, minor novelist and Chicano Movement activist, perhaps best known for his friendship with the American author Hunter S. Thompson, who characterized him as his Samoan Attorney, Dr...
. The novel is a semi-autobiographical fictionalized account of the August 29, 1970 Chicano Moratorium
Chicano Moratorium
The Chicano Moratorium, formally known as the National Chicano Moratorium Committee, was a movement of Chicano anti-war activists that built a broad-based coalition of Mexican-American groups to organize opposition to the Vietnam War...
, a mass protest of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. In addition to political protest, the characters engage in insurrection against religious, educational, and legal systems. During the Moratorium, demonstrations are held while buildings are bombed and people die. The protagonist, Buffalo Zeta Brown, represents the rioters who were indicted unjustly but attracted media to make Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
s aware of their social condition. Eventually, the pressures from the court, the community, and his life become too overwhelming, and Buffalo Zeta Brown loses his mind. The title of this novel and its references to "cockroaches" is often thought of as a metaphor for society's undesirables, particularly minorities, and their constant presence.