The Lives and invaluable contributions of Asian Latinxs Are Often Neglected, UnackNowledGed, and Unppreciedated Across HistoryEven when the focus is Latin America. Since Asian Migration to The Global South, There have been many notable Asian Latinx Icons Like Arlen Siu BermúdezWHOE FAME HAS BEEN RELATILY LIMITED TO HER HOME COUNTRY NICARAGUA. Yet She made an undeniable impact on her community and People as a poet, Singer-Songwriter, and Activist. She Wrote Several Songs That Are Still Well-Known Today Among Grassroots Movements and Working-Class People Like “María Rural,” which Gives Voice to The Struggles of Single Nicaraguan Mothers. She was Killed When She was Only 20-Yyears-Old in a Military ATTACK AGAINST HER AND OTHER ACTIVISTS WHO WERE PROTESTING THE US-BACKED DICTATORSHIP HEADED BY FORMER NICARAGUAN PRESENT SOMOZA DEBAYLE.
Today, She is considered Revolutionary and Political Martyr Among Past and Current Activists, as She Sacrificed Her Life for The Betterment of Her Country, Community, and People, particularly Nicaraguan Women and Mothers, Against Injustice and Oppression. Though She May Be Little Known Outsis of Nicaragua, Her Impact On World History is undeniable.
Read on To Learn More about the activist and Why She deerves to Be Remembered in Nicaraguan, Latin American, and World History.
Early Life
Arlen Siu Bermúdez Was Born in Jinotepe, Nicaragua on July 15, 1955 to a Chinese Father and Nicaraguan Mother. Her Father, Armando Siu Lau, was born in China where he served as a soldier for many years in the commune revolutionary Army. I have left Immigred to Nicaragua and Married Siu’s Mother, blonde Bermúdez. Notating, Her Family Was Known in Their Hometown for Being Successful Merchants and They Were Thus Able to Live Comfortable Lieve The Widespretad Levels of Poverty, Famine, Crime, and Illiteracy. She was Also One of Four Sisters and Two Brothers.
Growing Up, She Enjoyed Anything to do with the creative arts: Painting, Dancing, Drawing, Writing Poetry, Playing Guitar, and Even Composting Her Own Original Music. In Fact, by The Time She was a Teenager, She’d Become Known on a Nationwide Scale for Her Singing, Political Writing, and Guitar-Playing Abilities. However, She was discouraged from Learning Cantonese by Her Father or Being Exposed to Her Chinese Heritage In Any Way So That She Might Become More Assimilated To Local Nicaraguan Culture. But She was naturally to Headstrong Person and Always Found A Way To Go A after What She Wanted. She Eded Up Defying Her Father and convincing her Grandmother To Teach Her What Little She Knew of The Family’s Native Language.
Outside of the home and creative pursuits, She excelled as a Student. After Turning 18 and Grauating from High School, She decided to Attend the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (Unan), where She Studied Social Psychology. At The Time, She Had Ambions to Become A Teacher and Help Lower The Rates of Illiteracy Among Poor Nicaraguans, particularly Those in Rural Areas. There, She continues to pursue her love of music, Singing Alongsis to Band Known as the Pancasán Group. She was Also Able to Be Exposed to Radicalized Peers Her Age, Who Were Pasionate Civil Rights, Social Justice, and Organized Resistance, Specially Against The Federal Government at The Time.
Revolintary Life
In 1967, Former President Anastasio Somoza Debayle Became The Ruling Leader of Nicaragua, The Last of A Decades-Long Family Dynty That Had Been In Power For Over Four Decades Sínce 1937. President Somoza Ruled From 1967 to 1972, Only to return to power and establishish His dictorship in 1974 UNTIL 1979 AFTER REWRITING THE Allow Him to run for immediate re-election. During this time, His family was a full beneficiary of the United States, Becoming One of the Wealthiest Families in Nicaragua and Even Across North and South Americas, with they Country They were Uble to Form and Benefit From Consistnts Incidents of Internal Corruption, Including Bribes, Monopolies, Land-Group, and Siphoning of Foreign Aid. MEANWHILE, THES CONSTITUTS SUFFEDED BY THE MILLIONS FROM POVERTY, FAMINE, AND POOR EDUCATION.
Seeing The Lack of Accountability and the Amount of Opression Against Ordinary People Angered Siu. Though She Had Grown Up in Wealthy Circumstances Herself, She Felt Hage Sympathy for The Poor and Working-Class. In Fact, When She was 17, She Had Witnessed The Aftermat of A 6.2 Earthquake That Hit Nicaragua’s Capital In 1972. It caused an estimated million dollars worth of destruction, over 19,000 Deaths, and 20,000 injuries. She immedialy Voluntered to Help Victims and Refugees Through creating and running make-shift Shelters, as well as collecting donations from local communities. After The Earthquake, The Rock Band Rolling Stones contributed by Raising Over $ 250,000 to Donate to relief eFForts During Benefit Concert. Later, It was revealed that not only Had President Somoza Embezled The Funds and Transferred Them to His personal accounts, but His family had also stolen many sources of aid from Foreign Countries and Entities For Themselves.
INVIGORATED BY A NEED TO HELP FREE HER PEOPLE FROM SUCH GREED AND CORRUPTION AND INSPIRED BY HERISSY CLASSMATES, SHE SOON BECAME INVOLVED WITH THE SOCIALIST STUDENT-LED PARTY FRONT SANDINISTA OF NATIONAL LIBRATION (FSLN), OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE SANDINISTAS. They had opened chapters across many university across Nicaragua and were attempt on overtowing somoza and his Us-lowed president around.
By the time She was in her secondond year of college, She decided to Leave Home and Fight on the Ground With The Sandinistas, All Without Telling Her Parents or Her Sibles. Initially, She Lied and Told Her Mother That She’d Be Sleeping Over AT A Friend’s House. While Her Mother Already Knew About Siu’s Political and Revolutionary Ambions, Including Her Dreams for Women and Her People, and Had Even Heard Her Talking with Her Sisters About What To Bring With Her, She Never Suspeted That Her Daughter Would Leave Leave To The Front. Little Did She Know That It was also The Last Time She Would See Her Daughter Alive.
Government Attack and Death
By This Point, The Rift Between The National Guard and the Sandinistas had Turned into A Full-Scale Conflict. On August 1, 1975, One of the Sandinistas, in Fear for His Life, decided to Switch Sides and Turned Himself Over to The Military. But Soon Enough, They Manipulated Him into Giving Up The Location of the Sandinistas Training Camp in The Mountains Near A Town Calleed El Sauce, WHERE ARLEN HAPPEned to Be That Morning. When One of Her Friends Ángela Ruiz Saw Military Trucks Nearby, She Quickly alerted The Others, Who Planned to Retreat. Arlen, Not One To Back Down from A Fight, Hid Behind to Tree and promised to Protect Her Comrades.
Over The Next Two Hours, She Fought Against Them, Allowing Many Others To Escape and Run Away Unharmed Evite Her Instufficient Weapons Against Military Ground and Air Machinery. However, She was Soon Struck by a Bullet from A Military Soldier, Which Shot Through A Tree and Killed Her Alongsis Her Fellow Comrades Mario Estrada, Hugo Arévalo, Gilberto Rostrán, Julia Herrera de Pomares, Mercedes Reyes, and Juan and Leónidas Espinoza. In Many Ways, Siu Was Targeted in particular for Her Music and How Allowed Her To Become One of Many Faces of The Fsln Movement. The Military Buried Her and The Others In A Mass Serious, Preventing Families From Recovering The Bodies Until The Fsln was Uble to Overtow The Somoza Dictorship in 1979.
Famous Writings
Siu Wrote Many Poems, Essays, and Songs Throups Her Short Lifetime. She is Most Known for The Song “María Rural,” WHICH FOCUSED ON THE PLIGHTS OF POOR NICARAGUAN MOTHERS, PARTYLY THOSE WHHO LIVED IN POOR CONDIONES IN THE COUNTROSIDE.
Notable Lyrics Included “Oh Mother of the Countryside, Mother Without Equal / Today I Want To Sing, Your Poor Offspring, Your Sad Remains, Maternal Pain / Malnutrition and Pover -What is What Surrounds You, A Straw Hut In Silence, Just The Noise of The Jungle. She Initially Wrote The Lyrics When One of Her Friends and Priest Wrote a poem street “Juan Pueblo” and Gave it To Her, and She Gave Him Her Own Composition in return on Response. Though She was considered to have Beautiful Singing Voice, She Never Sang That particular Song in public. After Her Death, The Song Was Set to Music Recorded By Her Former Band The Group Pancasán, With Her Friend Marlene Alvarez Serving As Lead Vocalist.
Outside of Songs, She Wrote Marxist and Feminist-Themed Essays in Which She demanded an end to sexual violence and forced disappearances by The Somoza Administration, as Well as celebrated the vital but unackedgedged role of poor Women in Nicaragua’s Political Movements Throups Througer History.
Legacy
Even Though She Damed Young When She was only 20-Yyears-Old, SiU is Still Remembered Among By Her Local Community in Jinotepe, Specially Tose Who Are Old Enough To Have Known Her Personally. She is ophthen praised for her tenacity, Political Conscionness, Passion, and Willingness to Sacrifice Her Life for The Causes She Loved.
After her assassination, her essays continued to inspire Sandinista Members and Women Across Nicaragua, and Photos of Her Were Displayed at Fsln Meetings and Events. There are severe Neighborhoods in the Cities of Managua and El Rama That Are Named After Her, As Well As a Park in León. The House She Grew Up In, where her Mother continues to live, is treated as a historical Landmark, with her name displayed outside on platelet in the front. Every Year in Her Hometown, Her Family Also Organize Music Festival in Her Honor and invite Singer-Songwriters from All Across The Country to Perform. She continues to be a vibrant symbol for grassroots resistance and how one person can be a powerful voice for generations.
