Written by Huang Zhuocai, professor of Jinan University, a long documentary literary work—Padre&Hijo: Las memorias de un chino en Cuba y la trayectoria de sus cartas familiars—was published in Spain in January 2022. The title of the book means "Father Son: The memories of a Cuban Chinese and the trajectory of his family letters".
The cover of the book (Photo: Taishan Fabu)
Professor Huang comes from Taishan, Jiangmen, a coastal city in the Pearl River Delta. His father Huang Baoshi (1898-1975) was one of the leaders of overseas Chinese in Cuba, and was appointed the lifelong chairmanship of the Chinese Association in Sagua la Grande, a city in central Cuba.
Huang Baoshi left his hometown behind to earn a living in Cuba for 50 years. He was separated from his wife and children for a long time. He could only contact them by letter. The love between him and his families are recorded in the letters.
The book contains more than 40 family letters written from 1952 to 1975 sent from Sagua la Grande, recording the Cantonese Yinxin and stories behind them.
Photo: Hermes (left 2), descendant of Huang Baoshi's adopted son and editorial director of Cuban Science and Technology Press, was recalling Huang Baoshi's life with Huang Zhuocai (right 1 in the second row) in Havana, Cuba in 2018.
Cantonese Yinxin (广府银信), also known as Qiaopi (侨批), refers to remittances and family letters sent by overseas Chinese through non-governmental organizations at home and abroad or parallel traders. It is a special postal carrier that integrate letter and remittance. Qiaopi is widely used in Guangdong's Wuyi and Chaoshan area, Fujian, Hainan as well as many other places.
Xu Shicheng, member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, commented in the preface of the book that, in chronological order, this book tells the century-old story of the reproduction, struggle and development of overseas Chinese in Cuba, showing the private history of an immigrant family, and reflecting the life and work experiences of Cuban Chinese. Through this book, readers can find the footprints of Cuban Chinese and have a deeper understanding of the history from contracted laborers from China to free immigrants.
Author: Ariel & Tonny (intern)
Editor: Monica, Jerry
