Our History is Still Being Written: The Story of Three Chinese-Cuban Generals in the Cuban Revolution

by Armando Choy, Gustavo Chui, Moisés Sío Wong

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 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 1956–58 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 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 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.

Also available in Spanish, Chinese

Genres: History, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2006

Reviews

[Jim]

“Enriches our understanding of the contribution the Chinese made to [Cuba's:] revolution.”—China Quarterly



"....“These books 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, for several reasons, the most important being the historical process of reconnecting Cuba and Africa at a time when such reconnecting continues to be fiercely discouraged by the powers-that-be…. 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”

—Jacques Depelchin writing in African Studies Review on "Our History Is Still Being Written" and From the Escambray to the Congo.


This wonderful book on how institutionalized discrimination against Chinese ended in Cuba as a result of the Cuban Revolution has been reviewed by over 13 newspapers, magazine and journals:

Here are some of the recent reviews of "Our History Is Still Being Written":

“Memoirs, autobiographies, interviews of “regular people” who find themselves immersed in historic times bring that history to life as no author can. This is why the new book Our History Is Still Being Written has such an important role to play in modern Chinese history.”—Asian Fortune, as reported in New America Media. Click here for the complete review.

“This is a story about resettlement, revolution and reform of the Chinese in Cuba, “a story largely unknown outside Cuba” (p. 3), and a story of the Cuban people. The three story-tellers, whose ancestors migrated to and settled in Cuba in early times, took part in the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro, became important leaders in the revolution and are now engaged in the important reform and transformation of Cuban society.”
“More importantly, this is a history of the evolution of Cuba from a dictatorship to a socialist country as told by the Chinese Cubans from their perspective. It is a history about the ordinary people, their suffering, their struggle, their revolution and creation.”—Journal of Chinese Overseas.

“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. … told in interview/narrative format, directly from the mouths of the authors.… A highly personalized yet nonetheless valuable look at the evolution of modern Cuban history and politics.”—Midwest Book Review, March 2006

“… a must for anyone interested in the Cuba’s history, national identity, ethnicity and politics; and for any library used by students of Cuban revolution.”—University of Nottingham, Department of Hispanic and Latin American Studies

“Mary Alice Waters has been a noted advocate of the Cuban Revolution, assiduously compiling and translating the works of its leadership.… In Our History Is Still Being Written, she provides further historical resources, offering original perspectives on and from the Chinese-Cuban community.… Maps, photos, images, tables, and a glossary complete this historical resource.”— Multicultural Review.

“Cuba Shows Socialist Revolution Is Possible” from the Sunday Observer, Sri Lanka’s largest English-language newspaper.


“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.”—Titles worth noting in ForeWord Magazine

“For look inside the extraordinary institution that is the Cuban armed forces, this book is essential reading.”—Journal of Latin American Studies

“Enriches our understanding of the contribution the Chinese made to [Cuba's:] revolution.”—China Quarterly

“I did not know that there were Chinese-Cuban generals who were, and still are, active in Cuba. Did you? … Now in their 70s, the authors write about the past, the present and the future of Cuba from the viewpoint of their personal experiences in the making of Cuba’s history over the past 50 years.… [A:] fascinating and informative book.”—Passages, Federation of Chinese Canadian Professionals (Quebec)

“[The authors:] are living history texts…. [U:]seful to researchers interested in an insider’s perspective on how Chinese Cubans have made a place for themselves and for their view of the history that they have helped to make.”—Journal of Third World Studies

[Angel]

A brief but very interesting book. This book consists of a series of interviews with three Cuban generals of Chinese descent. The generals discuss their lives, their upbringing and social struggles, their revolutionary experiences their military experiences, and how they are still active in the revolution. For readers who may not be too familiar with the socialist notion of revolution, the revolution is an ongoing process. A professor once explained it to one of my classes as "there is the big R revolution" (that is the one you usually think of, with guns and armies, so on. Like the American Revolution or in Cuba the revolution to topple Batista) and then there is "the small r revolution" (this is the ongoing process of building and maintaining the society after the big R revolution). When the generals speak of the revolution, they mean that "small r" revolution.

Unlike other history books about Cuba, I liked this one because it takes a unique angle. It looks not only at people who were active participants in history but also at people with a pretty unique ethnicity for the region. Chinese immigrants were brought to Cuba (and a few other Caribbean islands) to do work in the sugar cane fields and other manual labor though sugar was the main work. They came as indentured servants and most usually stayed on the island. They often stayed because they could not afford their passage back to China, but a good number also stayed out of choice. These Chinese immigrants created communities, set up their own small businesses, thrived, and they eventually were mainstreamed into Cuban society. Ok, mainstreamed may not be the best term; some may choose "assimilated," but the point is that they were fairly integrated into Cuban society. If you ask the generals in the book, they see themselves as Cubans first who just so happen to have Chinese descent. This would be very different than a lot of Ethnic-Americans in the U.S. who often still see themselves as being from whatever place they came from first. Anyhow, this does not necessarily mean that the process of assimilation was smooth or easy. Prior to the Revolution, they faced racism and discrimination, and this is part of their story. Personally, their stories of youth were one of the most interesting parts of the book for me. Keep in mind that once Fidel took power, one of the first acts was to institute anti-racism legislation and measures, which benefited not only those of Chinese descent but other minority groups.

The generals played an active role in the Cuban campaign in Angola, so that gets some good coverage in the book. Most American readers may think this was just some Cuban adventurism, but when you read the accounts here you can learn it is not as simple as that. They discuss why they felt it was an obligation to go (requested by the local government of the time; because of an internationalist spirit; as a legacy or to meet the debt of those from other nations who fought for Cuban independence, so on). From there, we move to what is known in Cuba as the Special Period, and the book ends at about 2005 or so. You also get some discussion of Cuba sending medical teams to Venezuela and around the world as well.

A strength of this book is that it brings the generals to life; they are not just some mythical figures or just some generals. These were young boys that grew up, joined the revolutionary movement for various reasons (they each had different backgrounds), and then remained active in their society both in the military and after. The conversations are short, and they are fairly easy to read. They do come across as fairly warm individuals.

For American (read U.S.) readers, they may or not like the book. I am thinking an objection right away is that, well, it is a book looking at communists. Yes, they are communists who embrace the socialist movement and ideals. Much of their discussion does integrate socialist ideas and concepts. Much of their argument, when asked, is that the things they accomplished or that Cuba has accomplished (and even those who hate Fidel and Cuba have to give them credit for various accomplishments) would not have been possible had it not been for the revolution. I would say to those readers to read the book anyways. There are a few lessons to learn plus you get a pretty good picture of Cuban society in the 20th and early 21st centuries. Furthermore, you will get a bit of a history lesson (there are some discussions of colonial history for instance, the relationship of the nation to the Soviet Union, which was not always in lockstep, so on).

I read the book in Spanish, but it is available in English. Finally, the book features an appendix with two speech excerpts by Fidel Castro and one by Nelson Mandela highlighting the Angolan mission. Mandela is particularly praising the Cuban forces, who have a special place in the heart of a good number of African nations, in part because their mission did lead to the eventual independence of Namibia.

[LonewolfMX Luna]

I just finished reading this book on Cuba, which talks about the stories of three Generals in the Cuban Revolutionary Army who are of Chinese Decent Armando Choy, Gustavo Chui, and Moises Sio Wong. Would tell their story of how life was like in Pre-Revolutionary Cuba which was rife with poverty, corruption, exploitation, and racism. They would go on to tell about the History of immigration to Cuba from China in the mid 19th Century as indentured servants for the Spanish Colonial Regime before the Wars of Independence broke out in which many Chinese and Chinese-Cubans helped fight the wars of Independence which finally toppled Spain from Cuba, but the U.S. would come in and take it's place.

The Generals would then tell about how they each joined with Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement in which through their contributions helped overthrow the U.S. backed Batista Dictatorship in Jan 1st 1959 and from there would help Cuba in it's transition from Capitalism to Socialism. The Generals would also talk about the Cuban-Angolan War in which they sided with the Revolutionary Angolan Government against the Right wing forces of Zaire, UNITA, and Apartheid South Africa, the later whom had superior firepower and technology nonetheless suffered a crushing defeat in Cuito Cunavale, Angola by the combined forces of Cuban-Angolan forces in which the South African Colossus was broken bringing about the end of Apartheid in South Africa, Independence of Nambia, and sovereignty for the People's Republic of Angola.

Finally the Generals would talk about their projects such as cleaning up Havana Bay to Organic Urban Farming, as well as participation in Hugo Chavez's Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

[Michelle Rivera]

This book helped me understand the ways in which Cuba implemented their socialist programs before and after the fall of the Soviet Union. It’s been so difficult to find this info on the internet without a slanderous, western perspective. This book is the first to allow me to thoroughly understand the logistical, administrative efforts to implement socialist programs which most would consider boring and easily overlook. It was a great read!

[Marc Lichtman]

This is the second edition of a book first printed in 2005, that went through eight printings in English alone. The new preface by the editor, Mary-Alice Waters, gives the best explanation of its significance. I’m presenting excerpts from it here, from the 12/25/2017 issue of the 'Militant':


“This new edition of Our History Is Still Being Written: The Story of Three Chinese Cuban Generals in the Cuban Revolution appears twelve years after the original was presented at the Havana International Book Fair in February 2006. The demand for a second edition is testimony to the enduring interest engendered by the rich history of revolutionary struggle — and victories — brought to life through the words of Armando Choy, Gustavo Chui, and Moisés Sío Wong.

“In the years since Pathfinder Press first published their accounts, in Spanish and an English translation, the book has been the centerpiece of more than a hundred presentations and panel discussions in countries, cities, and universities around the globe — from Santiago de Cuba to Beijing and Guangzhou; from Kuala Lumpur to Caracas; from Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal to San Francisco, New York, Miami, London, Edinburgh, Auckland, and Sydney, to name just a few.

“A Chinese translation was published in 2008 by the Intellectual Property Publishing House; a Cuban edition by Editora Política in 2010; and one in Farsi by the Iranian publisher Talaye Porsoo in 2014. A French translation of this new edition now available, as is a Greek translation.

“Three facts above all, unexpected to most readers, have generated this broad interest.

“First, many learn with surprise that Cuba was a major destination of the large-scale Chinese emigration in the nineteenth century known historically as the 'coolie trade.' Readers are stunned to discover that more than 140,000 bonded laborers were shipped from South China seaports to Cuba between 1847 and 1874 — imported at the demand of wealthy plantation owners to replace dwindling African slave labor in the cane fields of what was then the largest sugar-producing country in the world.

“As a percentage of the population, this Chinese immigration was greater than anywhere else in the Americas. In those same years, it was proportionally larger 'than the influx into the United States of Chinese toilers, who first came to California in search of gold and then to build the most daunting segment of the history-altering transcontinental railroad.'

“With few exceptions, the indentured workers who survived the sea voyage to Cuba, and then eight years of contracted labor under conditions akin to slavery, never returned to China. They intermarried, became laborers, small farmers, and petty traders. They lived as other Cuban working people did. Today on the streets of Havana and other cities across the island, it is not unusual to be told that the Cuban nation was born with the intertwining of three strands — one Spanish, one African, and one Chinese.

“Second, readers are surprised by the massive participation and exemplary contribution of Chinese workers in Cuba’s wars for independence from Spain between 1868 and 1898, wars inextricably interlinked with the struggle to abolish slavery and bonded labor in all forms. As Sío Wong’s account underscores, nothing like it occurred in any other part of the world where large numbers of Chinese workers settled.

“Third, and most important, many readers are stunned to learn that in Cuba today, unlike anywhere else on earth, discrimination and even prejudice against Cubans of Chinese descent have virtually ceased to exist. There is no glass ceiling, no sector of society or level of responsibility where only token Chinese Cubans can be found. There are no typically “Chinese jobs.” Wang Lusha speaks eloquently to this question in the foreword to this new edition that follows.

“How is this possible? Why is the Chinese community in Cuba different from Peru, Brazil, Argentina, or North America, Sío Wong asks. “The difference,” he answers, “is the triumph of a socialist revolution.” Here “we overturned the property relations that create not only economic but also social inequality between rich and poor. That is what made it possible for the son of Chinese immigrants to become a government representative, or anything else.”

Our History Is Still Being Written is in fact an introduction to that socialist revolution…

“The most important single addition to the second edition of Our History Is Still Being Written is the foreword by Chinese translator Wang Lusha, originally published as an afterword to the 2008 Chinese edition. He explains how he first learned about the three Chinese Cuban generals, and the impact their stories had on his life. Wang gives voice to the surprise and pride of many Chinese around the world, especially young people, who through this book have come to know more of their own history of revolutionary resistance, combat, and victory….”

Now, back to me. To learn about the fight against anti-black racism, let me recommend the interview with Harry Villegas in Making History: Interviews with Four Generals of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces, and From the Escambray to the Congo: In the Whirlwind of the Cuban Revolution by Víctor Dreke. For Cuba’s contribution to the anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggle, there are many books, but let me recommend: Cuba and Angola: Fighting for Africa’s Freedom and Our Own.

For the Cuban fight for equality for women, the best single book is Women in Cuba: The Making of a Revolution within the Revolution.

And for those interested in China I recommend: On China and Maoism Vs. Bolshevism: The 1965 Catastrophe in Indonesia, China's "Cultural Revolution" & the Disintegration of World Stalinism.

[Ann Nguyen]

Not knowing much about Chinese folks involvement in the Cuban revolution, reading this was a total revelation and an absolute pleasure. This book is in an interview format with accompanying photos and a glossary that makes this book digestible to anyone—whether you know anything or nothing about Cuba. I learned so much and wish this was a book read in every classroom.

[Miaomiao Li]

Interesting topic but very colored opinions.

[Becky]

This is an interesting look into the lives of Chinese-Cuban generals who were involved in the Cuban Revolution and other initiatives of the current government. The book, thankfully, isn't bogged down by academic terms, but instead fairly colloquial yet informative, peppered with numbers. I like the design of the book too -- lots of helpful pictures and maps.

As far as I can tell, their retelling of the history of the Chinese in Cuba generally lines up with the academic material I've read so far. Moisés Sio Wong in particular knows a lot about it. (I can't comment about the Special Period or the Angola conflicts.)

It is, however, very opinionated and colored by the fact that this book was written and published by a group of Marxists and by Cubans supportive of the Castro regime (duh). My dad, who is Chinese-Cuban himself, rolled his eyes at some of their anecdotes. Take their word with a grain of salt.

[Matt]

It was great to learn about the Chinese-Cuban who were involved in the revolution. It is truly a fascinating story of three Cuban revolutionaries of Chinese descend to speak about socialism and loyalty.

There is also a lot of great information about the Cuban urban garden revolution, probably the most successfully, sustainable agricultural project in modern days.

There are parts of the book which makes it seem like a commie piece of propaganda, but these three revolutionaries were the ones who helped spark the revolution and are still active participates of the fight against neo-liberalism and imperialism of the west and this is their first hand experience in trying to survive through the collapse of the Soviet Union and the trade embargo.