Arlen Siu
Encyclopedia
Arlen Siu Bermúdez was a Chinese
Nicaraguan
who became one of the first female martyr
s of the Sandinista revolution. She was born in Jinotepe
, Nicaragua in 1952. Her father was Chinese and her mother was Nicaraguan.
, Nicaragua. Her father, Armando Siu Lau, was born in Guangdong
, China
and immigrated to Nicaragua
in the late 1940s after serving in the Communist Revolutionary Army, he later married a native Nicaraguan woman. Arlen attended La Escuela Normal de Señoritas (Young Women's Normal School), located in Jinotepe, and she later attended UNAN, where she often sang with Marlene Álvarez, a member of a music group named Pancasán.
near El Sauce
, Leon
, 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. 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.
Chinese Nicaraguan
Chinese Nicaraguans are Nicaraguans of Chinese ancestry who immigrated to or born in Nicaragua...
Nicaraguan
Nicaraguan
Nicaraguans are people inhabiting in, originating or having significant heritage from Nicaragua. Most Nicaraguans live in Nicaragua, although there is also a significant Nicaraguan diaspora, particularly in Costa Rica and the United States with smaller communities in other countries around the world...
who became one of the first female martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s of the Sandinista revolution. She was born in Jinotepe
Jinotepe
Jinotepe is a city in Nicaragua, located in Department of Carazo in the South Pacific region of Nicaragua at the municipality of Jinotepe. It borders with Managua, Masaya, Granada, and Rivas.It is a sister city of Santa Cruz, California, United States....
, Nicaragua in 1952. Her father was Chinese and her mother was Nicaraguan.
Early life
Arlen Siu was born and raised in JinotepeJinotepe
Jinotepe is a city in Nicaragua, located in Department of Carazo in the South Pacific region of Nicaragua at the municipality of Jinotepe. It borders with Managua, Masaya, Granada, and Rivas.It is a sister city of Santa Cruz, California, United States....
, Nicaragua. Her father, Armando Siu Lau, was born in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and immigrated to Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
in the late 1940s after serving in the Communist Revolutionary Army, he later married a native Nicaraguan woman. Arlen attended La Escuela Normal de Señoritas (Young Women's Normal School), located in Jinotepe, and she later attended UNAN, where she often sang with Marlene Álvarez, a member of a music group named Pancasán.
Sandinista revolution
Arlen Siu was 18 when she joined the Sandinistas, 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 ambushAmbush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
near El Sauce
El Sauce, León
El Sauce is a municipality in the León department of Nicaragua. Located in the foothills of the Segovia Mountains, the population is 30,500 people, the geographic coordinates are 86°32'0" West and 12°53'0" North, and the area is 629.97 km2....
, Leon
León, Nicaragua
León is a department in northwestern Nicaragua . It is also the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the Spaniards as Santiago de los Caballeros de León and rivals Granada, Nicaragua, in the number of historic Spanish colonial homes and churches...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, by soldiers from Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle was a Nicaraguan leader and officially the 73rd and 76th President of Nicaragua from 1 May 1967 to 1 May 1972 and from 1 December 1974 to 17 July 1979. As head of the National Guard, he was de facto ruler of the country from 1967 to 1979...
'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
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
and Feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
served as an inspiration to both the Sandinista movement and the Nicaraguan Women's movement. 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
El Rama
El Rama is a municipality in the Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur department of Nicaragua. It is along the Escondido River which branches off into three other rivers: the Sumi, Rama, and Escondido. It is home to an important Atlantic/Caribbean port. Its population is approximately 50,000...
, as well as in Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
, there is a large barrio (neighborhood) named in her honor, there is also a park in Leon, Nicaragua
León, Nicaragua
León is a department in northwestern Nicaragua . It is also the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the Spaniards as Santiago de los Caballeros de León and rivals Granada, Nicaragua, in the number of historic Spanish colonial homes and churches...
named after her.