The Militant (logo)  
   Vol. 70/No. 42           November 6, 2006  
 
 
Cuban media cover widely 7-city book tour
 
The Cuban press is giving wide coverage to the cross-island speaking tour to discuss and promote Our History Is Still Being Written: The Story of Three Chinese-Cuban Generals in the Cuban Revolution (in Spanish, Nuestra historia aún se está escribiendo).

As of October 20, events had been held in Ciego de ávila, Holguín, Bayamo, and Santiago de Cuba. With three meetings still to go—two in Villa Clara province, and the wind-up in Havana—the first four events had been covered by some 15 articles or broadcasts in Cuban newspapers and on radio and TV. In addition, portions of the Holguín meeting, including parts of the talks by Moisés Sío Wong, one of the generals interviewed in the book, and Mary-Alice Waters, the book's editor, were broadcast on prime-time Cuban national TV October 19, and again the next morning. The Ciego de ávila meeting was also covered in a dispatch by China's news agency, Xinhua.

In addition to the media excerpted below, reports were carried over Radio Havana Cuba, Radio Bayamo, Radio Surco, and Aldia TV in Holguín.

From October 19 Juventud Rebelde, daily published by Union of Young Communists of Cuba.

BY LUIS RAÚL VÁZQUEZ MUÑOZ  
CIEGO DE ÁVILA—The book Nuestra historia aún se está escribiendo, containing the unpublished reminiscences of three Cuban generals of Chinese descent, was presented in Ciego de ávila. This was the first in a series of launchings that will be held in Holguín, Granma [province], Santiago de Cuba, and Villa Clara.

The director of Pathfinder Press, Mary-Alice Waters, announced that the volume includes interviews done between 2002 and 2005 by a group of U.S. journalists with generals Armando Choy, Gustavo Chui, and Moisés Sío Wong. She added that one of the merits of the work, which was presented for the first time in the last [Havana] International Book Fair, is revealing the role of emigrants from the Asian giant in the struggles for Cuba's independence, a fact unknown in the world.

In its pages, she pointed out, the three military men tell of their participation in the revolutionary war against the Batista dictatorship, the early years of the Revolution, their actions in Angola and other internationalist missions, including the solidarity given to Venezuela….

For his part, Brigadier General Moisés Sío Wong, president of the Cuban-Chinese Friendship Association, stated his opinion that the appearance of this book is very necessary and will contribute to brotherhood between the two countries.

…[T]he presentation [was] held in the José Inda Hernández House of Culture.
 

*****

From Chinese News Agency Xinhua.

HAVANA, Oct. 19, 2006 (Xinhua via COMTEX)—The book Nuestra historia aún se está escribiendo by the U.S. publisher Pathfinder Press, containing the reminiscences of three Cuban generals of Chinese descent, was presented in Ciego de ávila, in the center of the island…. This work reveals the role of the Chinese emigration in the freedom struggles of the Caribbean nation, the daily Juventud Rebelde pointed out today. The three military men give accounts of their participation in the revolutionary war against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista (1952-1958) and the early years of the Cuban Revolution, which triumphed in 1959. They also tell of their actions during the civil war in Angola (1976-1991) and other internationalist missions, including the solidarity given to Venezuela.

[Mary-Alice] Waters stated that the book has become one of the Pathfinder titles that has had the greatest impact in the United States, primarily in the Chinese community of more than two million persons….

Editora Política is preparing a Cuban edition, and the newspaper reported that work has begun on translating the book into Chinese.
 

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From October 18 Invasor, local newspaper in Ciego de ávila.

An article by Sayli Sosa Barceló reported that among the speakers was "Iraida Aguirrechu Núñez, editorial head of Editora Política, who announced that a Cuban edition of the title is being prepared, and General Moisés Sío Wong. Also attending were members of the Min Chih Tang Chinese Society of Ciego de ávila, the Association of Combatants of the territory, and leaders of the political and mass organizations in the municipality."
 

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From interview in October 20 Invasor.

BY SAYLI SOSA BARCELÓ  
On the occasion of the presentation of the book Nuestra historia aún se está escribiendo in Ciego de ávila, Mary-Alice Waters, president of Pathfinder Press, responded to some questions by Invasor Digital.

—What themes does your publishing house take up?

"We like to say that Pathfinder Press was born with the Russian Revolution, because those who came before us published communist literature in the United States. We try to publish the books, pamphlets, and magazines that U.S. working people need, and that is, above all, in order to get organized in a communist party, to do away with the imperialist-capitalist system in the world."

—Are North American youth interested in the literature Pathfinder publishes?

"There is considerable and growing interest, which is the most important thing. Concerning the Cuban Revolution, for example, they know it exists, but they don't know the truth about Cuba. They know what the government of my country says, but they're not familiar with the reality that the rulers don't want them to find answers in. The books we publish are among the few that really explain what the Cuban Revolution is and why the U.S. government is so ferocious toward the Cuban people…."

"Our publishing house maintains correspondence with the Five Cuban Heroes who are prisoners in U.S. jails. From the first years of their imprisonment we've maintained correspondence with some of the five imprisoned youth. We send them books when they ask us."
 

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From October 19 broadcast by Radio Reloj.

Nuestra historia aún se está escribiendo, an interview with three Cuban-Chinese generals, was presented last night in Holguín's Chinese community by the New York publisher Pathfinder Press…. General Moisés Sío Wong thanked Pathfinder Press for the work it is doing for Cuba, and gave the first signed copy to Miguel Díaz Canel, member of the Political Bureau and First Secretary of the Party in Holguín. (Fabio Ochoa reporting)
 

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From October 20 Ahora, local newspaper in Holguín. Also broadcast over Radio Angulo.

Our History Is Still Being Written… was presented in the headquarters of Holguin's Association of Chinese Descendants with the attendance of one of its protagonists, general Moisés Sío Wong, and Mary-Alice Waters, publisher of the book and Pathfinder's president….

By reading this title [we] can also enlarge our knowledge about the Cuban Revolution and Cuba's role on its fight against colonialism and imperialism, added the U.S. editor…

General Sío Wong highlighted the Chinese presence during Cuba's wars against Spanish colonialism (XIX century), as well as in the last war that overthrew Fulgencio Batista's tyranny, the one ended with the people's victory of January the first, 1959….

Today [the book] is circulating in the United States and will be presented in different parts of the world during the coming November. It was said too a Canada tour for the presentation of the book in the early days of 2007 is being arranged.
 

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From October 20 Ahora.

BY MARÍA JULIA GUERRA  
The book was presented in the Chinese quarter by one of its protagonists: General Moisés Sío Wong. He stated that it was being done in honor of Cuban Culture Day, and within the Camilo [Cienfuegos]-Che [Guevara] national day of activities….

At the presentation—which was attended by Miguel Díaz, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba and First Secretary of the Party—General Sío Wong stressed the participation in Cuba's wars of independence of Lieutenant Colonel José Bu and Captain José Tolón, who fought in the three wars.
 

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From October 20 La Demajagua, local newspaper in Bayamo.

BY RAYNOR AMAURY RIVERA LICEA  
"The principal measure taken to eliminate discrimination against Chinese in Cuba was the Revolution," stated Brigadier General Moisés Sío Wong in presenting the book Nuestra historia aún se está escribiendo in the museum at the birthplace of the Father of the Country Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in Bayamo, capital of the eastern province of Granma….

Mary-Alice Waters, editor of the book and member of the National Committee of the Socialist Workers Party of the northern nation, stressed its importance as "a weapon in defense of the truth about Cuba and its Revolution."

Attending the meeting were Lázaro Expósito Canto, member of the Central Committee and first secretary of the Party in Granma; Juan González, vice president of the Government in the province; Iraida Aguirrechu, editorial director of Editora Política; and other personalities.
 

*****

From October 21 broadcast by Radio CMKC, Santiago de Cuba.

BY ELVIRA OROZCO VITAL  
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Oct. 21, 2006—The presence of Chinese in Cuba before, during, and after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution is a topic told by three protagonists of Oriental features in the book Nuestra historia aún se está escribiendo, presented in the City Exhibition Hall of the Municipal Assembly of People's Power in Santiago de Cuba.

As part of the activities celebrating Cuban Culture Day, the Heroic City became one of the sites chosen to launch this publication of Editora Política. As stated by Iraida Aguirrechu, representative of the Communist Party of Cuba's publishing house, Santiago de Cuba was chosen not just because of the history amassed in each of the city's streets, houses, institutions, and parks. Rather, because here there are many families of Chinese descent who also have given their support to the revolutionary process on the island in different periods….

Speaking to intellectuals, artists, leaders of political and mass organizations and of enterprises and cultural and workers institutions, Sío Wong stressed that the virtue of Nuestra historia aún se está escribiendo resides in having penetrated into the belly of the beast—the United States—breaking through the distortions and the silence they try to impose on the truth about Cuba….

Attending the presentation were Misael Enamorado Dáger, member of the Political Bureau and first secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Party; and deputy Rolando Yero, president of the Provincial Assembly of People's Power here.
 
 
Related articles:
7-city tour in Cuba promotes book by three Chinese-Cuban generals
Hundreds attend events across island
UCLA panel in LA to discuss book on Chinese-Cubans in Cuban Revolution  
 
 
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