Birth Name: Zacharías Manuel de la Rocha
Place of Birth: Long Beach, California
Date of Birth: January 12, 1970
Ethnicity:
*Mexican (including Spanish, some African and Converso) (father)
*German, Irish (mother)
Zack de la Rocha is an American musician, poet, rapper, and activist, known as the vocalist and lyricist of rap metal band Rage Against the Machine. His father is Robert de la Rocha (Robert Isaac “Beto” de la Rocha), a painter, graphic artist, and muralist of Mexican (including Spanish, some African and Converso) descent. His mother, Olivia Lorynne Carter, is of German and Irish descent.
Zack’s paternal grandparents were Isaac de la Rocha Beltrán (the son of José Isaac de la Rocha Acosta and Sahara Beltrán Ojeda) and Cecilia Torres Cañedo (the daughter of Francisco Torres Angulo and María Josefa Cañedo Benítez). Francisco’s great-grandfather, José Mónico Partida Sandoval, was described as “mulatto” on records, indicating partial African ancestry.
Zack’s maternal grandparents had the surnames “Carter” and “Fleming”.
Sources: Birth record of Zack’s father – https://familysearch.org
Zack’s father on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Baptismal record of Zack’s paternal great-grandfather, Francisco Torres Angulo – https://familysearch.org
Record of Zack’s paternal great-great-great-great-grandfather, José Mónico Partida Sandoval – https://familysearch.org
Birth record of Zack’s mother – https://familysearch.org