Arlen Siu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arlen Siu Bermúdez (better known as Arlen Siu) was a Chinese Nicaraguan who became one of the first female martyrs of the Sandinista revolution. She was born in Jinotepe, Nicaragua. Her father was Chinese and her mother was Nicaraguan.[1]
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[edit] Early life
Arlen Siu was born and raised in Jinotepe, Nicaragua. Her father, Armando Siu Lau, was born in Guangdong, China and immigrated to Nicaragua in the late 1940's after serving in the Communist Revolutionary Army,[2] he later married a native Nicaraguan woman. Arlen attended La Escuela Normal de Señoritas located in Jinotepe, she later attended UNAN where she would often sing with Marlene Álvarez, a member of a music group named Pancasán.[3]
[edit] Sandinista revolution
Arlen Siu was 18 when she joined the Sandinistas,[2] and proved to be one of the most faithful followers of the cause. She had already attained a level of national celebrity as a talented songwriter, singer, and guitarist by the time she joined the movement. She was killed in 1972 during an ambush near El Sauce, Nicaragua, by soldiers from Anastasio Somoza Debayle's National Guard. She was twenty years old.
She is considered by many in Nicaragua to be one of the earliest martyrs of the revolutionary movement. Her artistic works and critical essays on Marxism and Feminism served as an inspiration to both the Sandinista movement and the Nicaraguan Women's movement.[2] After her murder she became one of the earliest martyrs of the Sandinista revolution. Her picture would frequently show up in the hands of Nicaraguans at FSLN celebrations throughout Nicaragua. On the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua in the town of El Rama, as well as in Managua, there is a large barrio (neighborhood) named in her honor, there is also a park in Leon, Nicaragua named after her.[4]
[edit] Arlen Siu in popular culture
Arlen wrote a song titled "Maria Rural", since her death it has been sung by Carlos Mejia Godoy, a prominent Nicaraguan singer, among others.[5]
Sample of "Arlen Siu", a song by Carlos Mejía Godoy.
"Arlen Siu" lyrics.
[edit] References
- ^ "Famous People of Nicaragua: Arlen Siu", Nicaragua.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
- ^ a b c Roshni Rustomji-Kerns, Rajini Srikanth, Leny Mendoza Strobel (1999). Encounters: People of Asian Descent in the Americas. Rowman & Littlefield, 119-120. ISBN 0847691454.
- ^ ""Personalidades en la Musica de Nicaragua: Pancasán hizo su historia", Manfut. Retrieved on 2007-08-08. (Spanish)
- ^ "Parque de León sin recursos", La Prensa. Retrieved on 2007-08-20. (Spanish)
- ^ Randall, Margaret (1980). Todas estamos despiertas: Testimonios de la mujer Nicaragüense de hoy. Siglo XXI, 122-123. ISBN 9682310113.
[edit] External links
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