Our History Is Still Being Written: The Story of Three Chinese-Cuban Generals in the Cuban Revolution
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • an important book
  • A highly personalized yet nonetheless valuable look at the evolution of modern Cuban history and politics
  • If you are at all curious about Cuba, START WITH THIS BOOK
  • Inside view of Cuba's mission in the world
  • A smorgasbord of insights on Cuba today
Our History Is Still Being Written: The Story of Three Chinese-Cuban Generals in the Cuban Revolution
Armando Choy , Gustavo Chui , and Moises Sio Wong
Manufacturer: Pathfinder Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0873489780

Product Description

A chapter in the chronicle of the Cuban Revolution, as told by those on the front lines of that ongoing epic. Armando Choy, Gustavo Chui, and Moisés Sío Wongthree young rebels of Chinese-Cuban ancestrythrew themselves into the great proletarian battle that defined their generation. They became combatants in the clandestine struggle and 195658 revolutionary war that brought down a U.S.-backed dictatorship and opened the door to the socialist revolution in the Americas. Each became a general in Cubas 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 the social and political forces that gave birth to the Cuban nation and still shape our epoch unfold. We see how millions of ordinary men and women like them changed the course of history, becoming different human beings in the process.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars an important book.......2006-11-14

This is a great book for university students in the field of history or Latin American politics. Usually we are accustomed to reading only the interviews of Dr. Fidel Castro but rarely do we get a glimpse of others who did battle as well during the Cuban Revolution--1956-58--and these are the three Cuban-Chinese generals. This is a great oral history book on Cuban history as well as Cuban-Chinese relations. It is fascinating to read what these--highly intelligent--generals have to say about their Cuban Government and its role on international relations. A must have for any University student studying Latin American history and/or politics.

5 out of 5 stars A highly personalized yet nonetheless valuable look at the evolution of modern Cuban history and politics.......2006-03-06

The collaborative work of Armando Choy, Gustavo Chui and Moises Sio Wong, Our History Is Still Being Written: The Story Of Three Chinese-Cuban Generals In The Cuban Revolution is the personal testimony of three individuals of Chinese-Cuban ancestry who became involved in the 1956-58 revolutionary war that ended the America-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, with lasting repercussions for socialist revolution in Latin America. Their stories cover not only the excitement of fifty years ago, but also the years since up to the modern day from problems with food shortages to postmodern wars of ideas. An appendix includes two essays by Fidel Castro and one by Nelson Mandela. Most Of Our History Is Still Being Written is told in interview/narrative format, directly from the mouths of the authors; black-and-white photographs offer glimpses of key turning points in Cuban history. A highly personalized yet nonetheless valuable look at the evolution of modern Cuban history and politics.

5 out of 5 stars If you are at all curious about Cuba, START WITH THIS BOOK.......2006-03-03

If you are at all serious about fundamental social change in this century, READ THIS BOOK:

Although this book takes the form of interviews with three Cuban generals of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Chinese origins-- yes there are Chinese in Cuba, propotionately the immigration there was many times greater than to the U.S.; three are yes, generals in the armed forces and leaders of the revolution;no, not everyone of Chinese origins fled the Revolution-- the best part is that you get a wide ranging, broad-scope picture of the Cuban Revolution from the war against the Batista dictatorship through the "Bay of Pigs"/Playa Giron imperial invasion ( attempted, anyway) ; the October 1962 "missile" crisis; Cuba's role in defending Angola fron then-racist-apartheid South Africa, speeding the democratic revolution throughout southern Africa; the economic crisis of the early to mid 1990s; all the way to Cuba's solidarity aid to Venezuela in the teeth of the Empire's threats to both countries, and the current revolution-within-the-revolution known in Cuba as the Battle of Ideas. All this recounted by fighters who PARTICIPATED in these events ! The Cuban Revolution is not "holding out" or merely "surviving"; it is marching foward even if the future is one of struggle amid difficulties...the Cuban people, governemt and Revolution are WINNING. They are beating The Empire every day. Find out why-- read this book !

5 out of 5 stars Inside view of Cuba's mission in the world.......2006-02-23

The three Cuban generals interviewed for this book are all of Chinese descent and shed interesting light on the Chinese-Cuban community (proportionately the largest in the Americas). But the heart of this book is the tremendous opportunity the Cuban Revolution has given these men to advance the cause of human solidarity. They have a down-to-earth approach and their reflections include striking examples as well as razor-sharp observations. Although all three are past retirement age, they all play leading roles in the revolution today, which they discuss in these interviews. This is ongoing history, which they are still living. In this book you get an inside look at the tremendous role Cuba played in Angola as well as a picture of the type of critical humanitarian solidarity Cuba is able to extend to Venezuela today. They show why a society based on international solidarity can successfully challenge the fangs-bared, dog-eat-dog example of the U.S. These interviews cover a variety of topics, such as racism, underdevelopment, the environment, agriculture, military strategy, and the role of youth. The photographs in this beautiful book are an education in themselves. While amazon may list this book as not available from time to time, it is always available from the Pathfinder z store listed under "new and used" at the top of this page.

5 out of 5 stars A smorgasbord of insights on Cuba today.......2006-02-19

Full of unexpected and detailed stories about Cuba in the world today...Yugoslavia could have withstood NATO bombings in the 1990s if army officers had used underground tunnels and the system of reserves put in place during World War II to allow the population to sustain itself, one of the Chinese-Cuban generals interviewed in this book says. He explains that Cuba's defense relies on such a system of reserves (not only food but also pencils and paper to keep schools open!): to give the rest of the world time to come to Cuba's aid and organize solidarity in the event of a military attack. So he spearheaded a wildly successful program in Cuba to develop urban agriculture and increase domestic food production. A part of this effort: convincing Cubans to eat veggies...the generals went to Angola to help fight the South African invasion in the 80s, one lost a leg there; one went to Venezuela on the recommendation of the UN to help them develop a food production program like the Cubans'...they all talk about what it was like growing up Chinese under the Batista dictatorship...Who would have guessed that the number of Chinese who moved to Cuba in the mid1800s was roughly the same as the number who moved to the US? An easy read, and you just never know what the next chapter will talk about.
On Becoming Cuban: Identity, Nationality, and Culture (H. Eugene and Lillian Youngs Lehman Series)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Cuban-Americans Must Read this book
  • On Becoming a Member of the Privileged Class in Havana
  • On becoming russian: after 1959
  • Not entirely accurate
  • Coca-Colony of the Caribbean
On Becoming Cuban: Identity, Nationality, and Culture (H. Eugene and Lillian Youngs Lehman Series)
Louis A. Jr. P?rez
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0807824879
Release Date: 1999-09-22

Book Description

With this masterful work, Louis A. PŽrez Jr. will transform the way we view Cuba and its relationship with the United States. On Becoming Cuban is a sweeping cultural history of the sustained encounter between the peoples of the two countries and of the ways that this encounter helped shape Cubans' identity, nationality, and sense of modernity from the early 1850s until the revolution of 1959.

Using an enormous range of Cuban and U.S. sources—from archival records and oral interviews to popular magazines, novels, and motion pictures—PŽrez reveals a powerful web of everyday, bilateral connections between the United States and Cuba and shows how U.S. cultural forms had a critical influence on the development of Cubans' sense of themselves as a people and as a nation. He also articulates the cultural context for the revolution that erupted in Cuba in 1959. In the middle of the twentieth century, PŽrez argues, when economic hard times and political crises combined to make Cubans painfully aware that their American-influenced expectations of prosperity and modernity would not be realized, the stage was set for revolution.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Cuban-Americans Must Read this book.......2004-12-19

Castro's bloody footprint on Cuba's back will soon be over, and the re-construction will then begin.

Before that happens, this book - together with a few more - should be read by those who hope to stake a claim on the future of that island.

The book is educational and informative, although it seems to put a lot of emphasis on the upper middle class of pre-Castro Cuba and little on the lower classes, with some small exceptions on the issue of race and Afro-Cubans. Too much is also made of Desi Arnaz's negative portrayal of Cuban men, although I never knew until I read this book that Eamon de Valera was half Cuban and that the Capote in Truman was Cuban.

But it does hit the nail right on the head on the formula via which the Cuban culture and character - so different from other Latin American countries - was formed.

The powerful influence of the USA and all things American upon the island may have been somewhat blown out of proportion (especially when not brought to a lower class context), but it was (and is) nonetheless important and a key ingridient in the make-up of the modern Cuban.

I suspect that when Cuba opens up to the world, those Cubans who remained in the prison island will soon re-join the interrupted life of a island full of paradoxes, brilliant thinkers and an unfortunate history of dictators and bloodshed. And perhaps the marriage between Castro's Afro-Cuba and the exile's mostly white-Cuba will result not in a baptism of fire (or blood) but in an incorporation of lessons learned in 50 years of modern exile with the astounding eneregy and creativity of the Cuban people.

1 out of 5 stars On Becoming a Member of the Privileged Class in Havana.......2002-09-29

That should be the title of this book. The author makes the same mistake many have made: to them Havana=Cuba. If it happened in Havana, it must be so in the rest of the island. From the beginning of the book he attributes to all Cubans what really applies to the upper class of Havana: travelling to the U.S. on vacation; sending their children to be educated on the U.S.; shopping sprees in New York; conducting their businesses on the American model, etc.
I was born in Camagüey and lived in Oriente and still have family in Cuba and I never heard of, much less witnessed many of the "facts" he gives. I've checked with several other Cubans, older than I from all over the island, about some of the authors assertions and everyone assures me Cubans did not celebrate Thanksgiving; kids did not get toys on December 25 (it was January 6); few Cubans spoke English, many Americans spoke Spanish; men did not stop flirting with "mulatas" in favor of blondes; and American supermarkets did not obliterate the neighborhood bodega. Perhaps that's the way it was in the Americanized Vedado neighborhood.
The author quotes from many novels and short stories. The writings of Cuban revolutionaries, the constitution written for the formation of the Cuban nation during the 10-year war, the effects of that 10-year war, and the effects of the war of independence on Cubans' idea of nationality are practically ignored. It seems we Cubans obtained all notion of who we are from the U.S.
Sociologist-like, he ascribes deeper meaning to all kinds of things; for example: the Cubans' enthusiastic adoption of baseball becomes an anti-Spanish, pro-feminist protest and a condemnation of Bullfighting as a bloody, colonial sport. How about this: baseball was fun and was not only a spectator sport, even kids could play it pretty much anywhere. Can't do that with a bull fight. As for rebelling against bloody, primitive sports: cockfighting has been part of Cuba's "sports" life from the colonial period.
It goes on and on. True there are neat facts in there: the early adoption of technology in Cuba, the symbiotic relationship between the U.S. and Cuba and a few other interesting tid bits. But his interpretation of the American influence in the notion of what it means to be Cuban is skewed. I must admit it got to me: I couldn't finish the book. I stopped at Chapter 6 because I anticipated what was coming: Fidel's revolution puts a stop to all that and now Cubans have a more real view of who they are. Am I right? Is that the punch line?
No one can deny the influence of the U.S. on Cuba. Its proximity, and its intervention in Cuban affairs garanteed that, but this book is replete with misinterpretations or are they misrepresentations?.
Can't recommend it.

3 out of 5 stars On becoming russian: after 1959.......2002-09-09

This book helped me very much as a source of data on events that happened way before my time, mainly because in Castro's Cuba most of this has been distorted, or in many cases, access has been totally impossible. I found the book very interesting and educational at the same time, very helpful also in making me understand better our influences and roots, as well as that tremendous link, for good or bad, that always existed with the United States and that Castro always persisted and portrayed as something not important and besides , very negative. However I have my problems with this book , especially on the last chapters, the revolution era, which is the one I lived, and know the most. I'm 36 now, and lived 25 years in Cuba, so I have a pretty clear knowledge of how things were and are during this years of "revolution". As many other non-cuban authors, Perez seem to have a problem criticizing the regime for what it's been responsible and on the other hand puts most of the blame on the United states, I think than from a fear point of view we got more positive things than negative ones from them. Corruption and mishandling of the government is constantly mentioned during the republic period; but very little is said about castro's failures. Nothing is said about the assassination and abuses that took place during those first years of revolution, practice that has continued during all these years. Unfortunately it was during these years that many liberals and idealist turned a blind eye to what was happening in the island. Nobody wanted to talk about what was really happening and preferred to accept the idea that the US were to blame for the rupture in the relationships between both countries. Still today not many people know about the darkest years of the revolution, a good example is that Ernesto"che" Guevara is still considered by many as a modern Quixote, a romanticized revolutionary that fought the imperialism in order to built a better world, when in reality he was nothing but a selfish murderer who committed all kind of atrocities, mostly in my country, and played a leading role in the process that turned the revolution into that aberrant regime that has ruled the country for more than four decades. So what I found negative about this book is that not giving a fair and balanced analysis on this part of the Cuban history affects the credibility of what was said about the rest of it. A good book for those who would like to read a least detailed but very fair analysis is" journey to the heart of Cuba" by Carlos A. Montaner.

3 out of 5 stars Not entirely accurate.......2002-08-05

The trouble with scholars and academics is their middle-class presumption that the world is middle-class. This book suffers from this presumption.
I married a Cuban, have been to Cuba five times, and know that there are both rich and poor in that country--just as there are in the U.S. There are Cubans in government and baseball stars and artists with access to dollars who are chauffered in their Benzes, live in gated mansions with electric fences, and swim in their backyard pools. In the meantime, my relatives live without running water or a phone. They have an extension cord leading from the neighbor's house to get electricity. When the annual hurricane hits, they live in the local secondary school's gymnasium, along with everyone else in their neighborhood in Cerro who lives in a plywood house.
Let's decide not to idealize the Revolution.
I'm not on the side of the anti-Castro supporters in Miami (I'm not Cuban)--I think free quality healthcare and education is an amazing achievement. And despite the last ten years of intense lack of material help since the Soviet Union dissolved, Cubans have an amazing stamina and love of life that gives them the hope to survive.
But let's not--especially for the academics who travel to Cuba and see only the middle class Cubans living there--idealize the country. Reader: check out "Afro-Cuban Voices" to get another side of the story.

5 out of 5 stars Coca-Colony of the Caribbean.......2002-06-15

Professor Perez has done another outstanding job of exploring the complexities of U.S.-Cuban relations. Again he has shown that the Revolution of 1959 didn't happen just because Castro read Marxist books while in college. Professor Perez explains why Castro's generation were reading the Marxist books in the first place.

There are some things in the critique of U.S. culture which are disturbing, to a North American, not so much in Professor Perez' presentation as in the chauvinistic attitude of some Cubans quoted here, expecially regarding language. All languages borrow from each other. English is full of loan words, from French, Latin, etc., and are considered normal parts of speech. This can be accepted without a sense of victimization. The "I Love Lucy" episodes referred to were not as bad as portrayed; "Ricky" was not a buffoon and corrected Lucy's miscomprehensions about Cuba more than once.

That said, this book is still good stuff. Yanquis (including Yanquified Miami "Cubans")should read it before they reconquer Cuba in the next decade.
Cuba, I Remember You / Cuba, te recuerdo
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • It leaves a lasting impression
  • Incredible Journey
  • An eye-witness look at pre/post-revolution Cuba
  • Cuba I Remember You?
  • Such an Engaging Book, I could not put it down.
Cuba, I Remember You / Cuba, te recuerdo
Oscar M. Ramirez-Orbea , and Oscar Orbea
Manufacturer: Airleaf Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1594539553

Product Description

A bilingual collection of 14 short stories, all in Spanish and English, based on the author’s experiences of childhood before and after the Communist revolution. Includes Appendix for educators wishing to use the book in Spanish or English foreign language classes. Lots of nostalgia for those who knew Cuba in the 50’s and 60’s and plenty of humor for readers in general. Includes many period family photographs that illustrate the stories. The stories explore themes of family life, childhood friendships, school life, Cuban Catholic culture, the passing of loved ones, and the effects of the dramatic political events that forever changed Cuba in 1959. Each story is narrated in facing pages of Spanish and English text. They are all told with a good deal of humor but also with a deep feeling of nostalgia for a beloved land and recounted with a great love of family, both living and dead. For those who lived in Cuba, the collection will evoke bittersweet memories of their own families and lives on the island; for others, it will make them experience, through the eyes of a native, everyday life in Cuba before and after the Revolution. The collection has been created not just with Cubans in mind! It is definitely for the general reader, especially one who enjoys plenty of humor, a little history, and stories of family life. Una colección bilingüe de 14 cuentos cortos, todos en inglés y en español, basados en las experiencias del autor antes y después de la revolución comunista. Incluye una Apéndice para enseñantes que deseen emplear el libro en cursos de inglés o de español como idiomas extranjeros. Muchísima nostalgia para los que conocieron a Cuba en los cincuenta y los sesenta y muchísimo buen humor para todos los lectores en general. Incluye también numerosas fotografías de época que ilustran los cuentos. Los cuentos exploran la temática de la familia, las amistades de la niñez, la vida escolar, la cultura católica cubana, la pérdida de los seres queridos, y los efectos de los dramáticos eventos políticos que para siempre cambiaron a Cuba en 1959. Todos los cuentos se narran en español y en inglés en páginas opuestas. Se revelan con un gran sentido de humor pero también con un profundo sentimiento de nostalgia hacia una lejana pero queridísima tierra. Y se muestra también en ellos un gran cariño hacia todos los parientes queridos, ya estén vivos o ausentes. Para los que vivieron en Cuba, la colección les traerá recuerdos a veces penosos y otras veces alegres de sus propias familias y de su vida en la Isla. Para los demás, les hará experimentar, a través de los ojos de uno del país, la vida cotidiana en Cuba antes y después de la Revolución. ¡Esta antología se ha creado no solamente para los cubanos! Se ha considerado en todo momento al lector en general, sobre todo aquel que aprecia el buen humor, un poquito de historia, y los cuentos de la vida en familia.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars It leaves a lasting impression.......2006-12-01

I bought this book for a school essay project, I was drawn to it by its title I though it would be information about Cuba, but it turned out to be about this family and I have to tell you it was even better. By the way I made an A on my essay, thanks.
Amy

5 out of 5 stars Incredible Journey .......2006-09-16

This is a moving story and highly recommended for anyone whose heart goes out to those who suffered the stones of Communism. One thing is certain, we must never forget, and this book is part of that active remembering that we are called to do.

5 out of 5 stars An eye-witness look at pre/post-revolution Cuba.......2006-08-27

Recently Cuban dictator Fidel Castro temporarily handed power over to his brother, Raul, while he underwent surgery and recuperation from intestinal problems. As the news media reviews the legacy and rule of Fidel Castro, now would be a good time to look a that legacy from the point-of-view of one who lived in Cuba pre- and post-revolution. Oscar Ramírez-Orbea is one who grew up pre-revolution and saw all that his family work hard for be taken by the Communists under Castro.

As the title suggests, this book is bi-lingual, written by a professor who actually was born and raised in Cuba and fled Cuba as a boy with his family. The Ramírez-Orbea family lost all they had worked for when Castro seized private property "for the common good."

The author also includes illustrations of the homes he lived in as well as photographs. The Ramírez-Orbea family trees are also illustrated.

Ramírez-Orbea's dislike of the Castro regime is not hidden. There is nothing about Communism that has a redeeming value in his eyes. After seeing all that his family worked so hard to build up being taken away "for the common good," you can't blame his views on the subject.

Ramírez-Orbea also hopes that the book becomes a movie. It could be a good movie along the lines of A Christmas Story (based on In God We Trust--All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd). It is not a straight narrative of his life as the author tells us about his family or the homes he lived in or the schools he attended.

The period between Castro's takeover of Cuba and the family's flight to the United States was dramatic. The family had to move to a smaller home and the author was sent to a Catholic school (even though his mother taught in the public schools--and had an underground business as a tutor). His final day at the Salesian school St John Bosco was marked by rampaging "revolutionaries" breaking through the fence and taking over the school. Imagine fearing for your life at school? Most clergy left Cuba shortly after this.

The family had decided to leave Cuba and applied for exit papers. Of course they became unemployable, people marked as "unpatriotic." For several years (when they did get permission to go to the US) the family couldn't get any official jobs and were unemployed and unemployable. Ramírez-Orbea highlights the irony that even as the government reported no unemployment his parents were unemployed--and were considered "unemployable." It was then that the family found ways to support itself, such as baking cakes to sell, the mother tutoring in her home, and other odd jobs.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Cuban history, in the realities of Communism, and in the indomitable human spirit. Being bilingual, the book can be used as an aid in teaching a second language (Spanish to the English speaker or English to the Spanish speaker). Granted most instructors won't want the book's handy "jimmy" structure, but for myself I am able to try to learn Spanish on my own. The author also has an appendix for instructors wishing to use this book in the classroom. Check it out!

The author has some pointed barbs about Communism. Usually it's of an ironic sort, such as his unemployed, unemployable parents in a land with no unemployment. There is the reminiscence of the trenches dug for missiles which were never finished. The author states: "Given this Communist efficiency, thank God the Americans never attacked us!" Of course the trenches filled with water and became prime breeding areas for mosquitoes, which may have spread malaria. The Communist government did nothing about the mosquitoes or the malaria (so much for the vaunted health care system).

The book has three major sections. "From the Old House/Desde la casa vieja" focuses on the author's life and home before the Castro revolution. "From the New House/Desde la casa nueva" details post-revolutionary life and the home the author's family moved to after the revolution until they left for the United States. "From the Other House/Desde la otra casa" details the author's religious memories from Cuba.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. The layout takes some getting used to as alternating pages contain the Spanish and English. Since chapters don't begin on a consistent page, some chapters have the English on the right side page, other chapters have English on the left side page. Perhaps starting every chapter on an left side (even numbered page) would allow the Spanish and English to exist better side by side. The Spanish also takes up more space, so possibly leaving more white pace for the English will allow a better pairing of English and Spanish. Or have English throughout start from one cover and the Spanish from the other cover.

2 out of 5 stars Cuba I Remember You?.......2006-08-19

After reading this book...I just need to point out that was not a La-La Land during the Revolution and even presently. I think its nice that Dr.Orbea can remember his own personal pleasant times. I just wonder if he has any idea of what really went on outside of his "Happy Garden".....?

5 out of 5 stars Such an Engaging Book, I could not put it down........2006-07-26

Dr. Ramirez if I had not read that this was your first book I would have never known. It was a wonderful read full of laughs, crys and screams, all the good stuff of life, family and crisis. I wanted to know if you have any more work out or coming out soon. I would love to read more of your work.

A New Fan
Culture and the Cuban Revolution (Contemporary Cuba)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Culture and the Cuban Revolution (Contemporary Cuba)
    John M. Kirk , and Leonardo Padura Fuentes
    Manufacturer: University Press of Florida
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    Artists, Architects & PhotographersArtists, Architects & Photographers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0813020786

    Book Description

    This unusual collaboration between a Cuban novelist and a Canadian professor offers uncensored and frank interviews with prominent figures of contemporary Cuban cultural life, from a Grammy-winning jazz artist to world-class filmmakers and actors, writers, ballet dancers, and dramatists. The thirteen people interviewed played a leading role in cultural life during the years of the revolutionary process and today are considered official Cuban figures.
    Culture et revolution: L'affiche cubaine contemporaine : [exposition] (Expositions itinerantes CCI ; no 1)
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      Culture et revolution: L'affiche cubaine contemporaine : [exposition] (Expositions itinerantes CCI ; no 1)

      Manufacturer: Centre de creation industrielle, Centre national d'art et de culture Georges Pompidou
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Unknown Binding

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      ASIN: 2858500282
      The "New Man" in Cuba: Culture and Identity in the Revolution (Contemporary Cuba)
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        The "New Man" in Cuba: Culture and Identity in the Revolution (Contemporary Cuba)
        Ana Serra
        Manufacturer: University Press of Florida
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

        CubaCuba | Caribbean & West Indies | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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        ASIN: 0813030722

        Book Description

        "A pioneering work of cultural history as well as an impressive work of literary criticism. Its elegant and enjoyable prose takes us on an amazing journey from utopia to dystopia and back, from the making of one of the most significant political, social and cultural experiments in recent world history to its failure on the eve of a new millennium . . . ought to be required reading for anyone grappling with the relationship between art and revolution in Cuba."--Lourdes Martinez-Echazabal, University of California-Santa Cruz

        The Cuban Revolution of 1959 not only brought Fidel Castro to power, it transformed Cuban cultural identity, with a new notion of "Cubanness" for men and women that Che Guevara defined as the "New Man." In Serra's examination of political speeches and award-winning novels that perpetuated this new identity during the formative years of the Castro regime, she traces the rise and fall of the "New Man," arguing that writers during this period simultaneously contributed to identity creation while criticizing its problematic aspects, even as they appeared to be singing the praises of the regime. The New Man in Cuba is an in-depth discussion of cultural politics and the politics of culture emerging--evidenced by in the relentless desire of Cuban writers, artists, and intellectuals to create a "New Man" and hold tight to a revolutionary spirit. The authors Serra analyzes professed unconditional support for the revolution, yet their texts contained prophetic insights into the conflicts that the new identity would generate, and influenced recent literary works that deconstruct the "New Man."

        Grounded in poststructuralist theories, including feminist, gender, and cultural studies, the book focuses on five pivotal works of the period: Volunteer Teacher (1962), Memories of Underdevelopment (1965), The Children Say Goodbye (1968), Sacchario (1970), and The Last Woman and the Next Combat (1971), showing how each of these works responds to a particular campaign, moment of crisis, or ideological process. Further, the epilogue interprets four recent novels by Leonardo Padura Fuentes as openly criticizing the New Man. This is the first monograph to make available to English readers the Spanish literary and political texts that laid the basis for revolutionary culture and identity but were almost ignored because of the Cuban Revolution's controversial history. Serra's study of a little explained cultural idea helps elucidate the resilience of the revolution to this day.
        A Revolution Can Only be Born from Culture and Ideas
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          A Revolution Can Only be Born from Culture and Ideas

          Manufacturer: Editora Politica
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback
          ASIN: 9590103391

          Product Description

          Master lecture delivered by HE Dr. Fidel Castro Ruz, President of the Republic of Cuba, at the main lecture hall in the Central University of Venezuela, on 3 Feb. 1999.
          Building a just society: the Cuban revolution and its future.: An article from: Harvard International Review
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            Building a just society: the Cuban revolution and its future.: An article from: Harvard International Review
            Ricardo Alarcon De Quesada
            Manufacturer: Harvard International Relations Council, Inc.
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Digital

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            ASIN: B00098DTFG
            Release Date: 2005-07-28

            Book Description

            This digital document is an article from Harvard International Review, published by Harvard International Relations Council, Inc. on September 22, 1998. The length of the article is 1523 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

            Citation Details
            Title: Building a just society: the Cuban revolution and its future.
            Author: Ricardo Alarcon De Quesada
            Publication: Harvard International Review (Refereed)
            Date: September 22, 1998
            Publisher: Harvard International Relations Council, Inc.
            Volume: 20 Issue: 4 Page: 14-16

            Distributed by Thomson Gale
            The Che marketing moment. (Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara as pop-culture icon)(Column): An article from: Dollars & Sense
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              The Che marketing moment. (Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara as pop-culture icon)(Column): An article from: Dollars & Sense
              Alejandro Reuss
              Manufacturer: Economic Affairs Bureau
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Digital

              GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books
              ASIN: B00097PEQY
              Release Date: 2005-07-28

              Book Description

              This digital document is an article from Dollars & Sense, published by Economic Affairs Bureau on July 1, 1997. The length of the article is 759 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

              From the supplier: A new Che Guevara craze is sweeping Cuba. Aside from five new biographies and six new films, the life of the Argentine revolutionary is immortalized through such products as Fischer skis and Swatch watches carrying his name. Truly, Guevarra has become a popular icon. Emphasis is given to his being an idealistic revolutionist who introduced the idea of moral incentives as motives for productive individual efforts. Some people however, do not embrace the same popular, modernized concept of Guevarra. For them, he is a controversial revolutionist whose life need not be celebrated.

              Citation Details
              Title: The Che marketing moment. (Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara as pop-culture icon)(Column)
              Author: Alejandro Reuss
              Publication: Dollars & Sense (Newsletter)
              Date: July 1, 1997
              Publisher: Economic Affairs Bureau
              Issue: n212 Page: p8(2)

              Article Type: Column

              Distributed by Thomson Gale

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