Publisher's Synopsis
"What was the most important measure to uproot discrimination against Chinese and blacks in Cuba? It was the socialist revolution itself." Armando Choy, Gustavo Chui, and Moisés Sìo Wong-three young rebels of Chinese Cuban ancestry-threw themselves into the great proletarian battle that defined their generation. They became combatants in the clandestine struggle and the 1956-58 revolutionary war that brought down a US-backed dictatorship and opened the door to the socialist revolution in the Americas. Each became a general in Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces. Here they talk about the historic place of Chinese immigration to Cuba, as well as more than five decades of revolutionary action and internationalism, from Cuba to Angola, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Through their stories, we see unfold the social and political forces that gave birth to the Cuban nation and continue to shape our epoch. We see how millions of ordinary men and women like them changed the course of history, becoming different human beings in the process. "Pathfinder must be congratulated for uncovering this remarkable but little-known dimension of the Cuban Revolution." -Gregor Benton, Bulletin of Latin American Research "A chapter in the chronicle of the Cuban revolution, as told by those on the front lines of that ongoing epic….We see how millions of ordinary men and women like them changed the course of history, becoming different human beings in the process." -ISSCO Bulletin "Valuable as a first-hand account of events that are little known outside Cuban circles, including the impact of Chinese immigration on Cuban history." -Book News "A highly personalized yet nonetheless valuable look at the evolution of modern Cuban history and politics." -Midwest Book Review "A must for anyone interested in Cuba's history, national identity, ethnicity and politics; and for any library used by students of Cuban revolution." -Hispanic and Latin American Studies Dept. of Nottingham University, UK "The importance of the Cuban-Angolan forces' victory over the apartheid army of South Africa…has been explained here in quite an interesting way." -Iran Book News Agency "This collective memoir is suitable for a general readership, for undergraduate classrooms….Visual images bring the narrative to life." -Kathleen López in Caribbean Studies "[The Generals] threw themselves into the great proletarian battle that defined their generation….They talk about the historic place of Chinese immigration to Cuba, as well as more than five decades of revolutionary action and internationalism, from Cuba to Angola, Nicaragua, and Venezuela." -Libros "[Editor] Mary-Alice Waters provides further historical resources, offering original perspectives on and from the Chinese-Cuban community." -MultiCultural Review "Even more fascinating than its title and subtitle suggest." -Mail & Guardian Online "The story behind the story is the little known history of the mass immigration of Chinese into Cuba in the early 1800's." -Neo Immigrant and Minority Business Alliance "It is a shame that the book was not published more recently than 2005 as its readers might have benefited from some insights about the direction of the new post-Fidel regime." -Afro-Hispanic Review "The story of Chinese immigrants to Cuba who participated in the revolution of 1956-1958; with insiders' perspectives on five decades of life in the turbulent nation." -Foreword Reviews "They are living history texts. But they admit that their work is not primarily about the past. And as these old soldiers take on new challenges, they proclaim:"Our history is still being written." -Journal of Third World Studies "Pathfinder Press has dared to move into the sometimes difficult waters of collections of interviews." -Journal of Latin American Studies "Reading this book gives the reader a glimpse of life in Cuba rarely visible in the United States today. And it tells a previously untold story-the Chinese of Cuba yesterday, today, and tomorrow." -New America Media/ a division of Pacific News Service Featured by the International Society for the Studies of Chinese Overseas. "These are the kind of books historians are always hoping for, but that very rarely see the light of day. Their value for average readers and for scholars cannot be overstressed.…In a subdued, almost humble, way, these books can be seen as collective praise for what Cuba has been able to do, not just for specific African countries, but for the majority of humanity resisting the unrelenting assaults of the capitalist system." -African Studies Review
