http://www.abcnews.go.com/reference/bios/castro.html
The son of a landowner, educated by Jesuits, FIDEL CASTRO RUZ married into one of Cuba’s wealthiest families and could have used his law degree to secure a comfortable life among the island’s oligarchy, collecting some of the U.S. dollars that flowed into Havana’s mob-controlled tourist economy. But Castro was always a rebel, and by 21, he was already becoming a legend, hoping to lead a mass movement for social change.
Castro’s first attempts failed miserably; he spent three years in jail after a quixotic attack on a military barracks in 1953. His speech at the trial, "History Will Absolve Me," condemned the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista and became his revolutionary manifesto. Released in 1955, Castro went on a fund-raising tour in the United States and met Argentine revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara in Mexico.
The movement to oust Batista was genuinely popular, and Castro’s moral code and egalitarian ideals initially enjoyed the support of the Catholic Church. But by 1960, as he nationalized all U.S. properties and made an oil deal with the Soviet Union, wealthy Cubans were fleeing the island and exiles began training in Florida for counter-revolution. But Castro only tightened his hold on Cuba in the face of repeated assassination attempts and the CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs fiasco. Humiliated by the Cuban missile crisis, he jailed, executed or exiled any challengers, forged even stronger ties to the Communist powers and vowed to take his anti-imperialist cause worldwide as the U.S. pressed its economic embargo. The breakup of the Soviet Union and the failure of Communist regimes around the globe isolated Castro; his revolution now barely feeds the Cuban people and exiles in Miami have long predicted his imminent downfall. But Cubans remain independent and proud—testimony to Castro’s survival tactics and remarkable political acumen.
Although the bearded one is old and gray, "Fidelismo" still holds great sway over many of his people, especially those who remember how it used to be.
Part A/2
http://clnet.ucr.edu/research/chavez/bio/
Cesar Estrada Chavez was born March 31, 1927 near Yuma, Arizona. Chavez began school at age 7, but he found it difficult because his family spoke only Spanish. Chavez preferred to learn from his uncles and grandparents, who would read to him in Spanish. In addition, Chavez learned many things from his mother. She believed violence and selfishness were wrong, and she taught these lessons to her children. Then in 1944, Chavez joined the navy and served in World War II. After completing his duty two years later, Chavez returned to California. He married Helen Fabela in 1948, and they moved into a one-room shack in Delano. In 1952, Chavez met Fred Ross, who was part of a group called the Community Service Organization (CSO) formed by Saul Alinsky. Chavez became part of the organization and began urging Mexican-Americans to register and vote. Four years later, however, Chavez left CSO to form his own organization, which he called the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA). In 1968, Chavez began a fast to call attention to the migrant workers' cause. Although his dramatic act did little to solve the immediate problems, it increased public awareness of the problem. In the late 1960s, the Teamsters attempted to take power from the UFW. After many battles, an agreement was finally reached in 1977. It gave the UFW sole right to organize field workers. Cesar Chavez died on April 23, 1993.
Ernesto Che Guevara.
Dear Friend!
This is letter to you…about my life.
I was born on June 14 in Rosario, an important town in Argentina. At the age of two I had his first asthma attack.
My father Ernesto Guevara Lynch, an engineer, was from a family of Irish descent, and mother, Clia dela Sena, was an Irish-Spanish descent. When I was three, his family moved to Buenos Aires. Later, my asthma attacks had gotten so worse that the doctors advised me for a drier climate. Hence once again my family moved, this time to Cordoba. I started Dean Funes high school where I was being educated in English. At the age of fourteen I started reading Freud, especially loved French poetry. When I was sixteen, I became an admirer of Neruda.
In 1944 my family moved to Buenos Aires. I started working while I was a student. In the early years of my study at the medical school I traveled throughout the northern and western Argentina, studying on leprosy and tropical diseases in the villages.
I graduated from medical school as a doctor in March 1953 and decided to work in a leper colony in Venezuela. I was on his way to Venezuela when I was put to jail in Peru because of mine earlier publication on the natives. During my stay in Guatemala I had met Fidel Castro’s brother Raul as well as many Cuban exiles. In Mexico, I met Fidel Castro and his friends, and joined the Cuban revolutionaries. After the Revolution I was assigned to the command of fort la Cabana in Havana. In 1959 I was given Cuban citizenship. Later he married a fellow comrade Aleida March.
In February 23rd, 1961, the Revolutionary Government of Cuba assigned me as the head of newly established Ministry of Industry. However, during the Playa Giran battle I was again called for the command of the fort.
I decided to organize the peoples of other Latin American countries. In September of 1965, I left for the unknown countries. In October 3rd, 1965, Fidel Castro read my famous farewell to the people of Cuba.
...And the death caught up with me near Higueras in Bolivia. I was surrounded by Barrientos’ troops on the night of October 7th, 1967. Heavily wounded from my leg, and I was locked up in a school in Higueras. Never I bowed to anyone. Nine bullets fired by Mario Turan, a murderer for Barrientos.
...I died on October 9th, 1967….
As a reflection component for this week, I chose a work of Marsha Zarko. I was amazed by the design and decoration of her web. Page. However, later, when I read through her work, I was very surprised how she presented the information. In her part A she described the life of Father Hidalgo of Mexico. The second part of her work surprised me because it was about the…airport!
What a surprise. This airport in Mexico was named after Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and is located 12 miles (17km) from Guadalajara and 10 miles (15km) from Chapala, Mexico. But her third part was the most surprise for me. It was about Mexican on-line store, where you can order Mexican food on-line, and learn some recopies. I’ve never thought about ordering Mexican food on-line, and didn’t know about that. This class is really useful not only because we learn history of Latin Amerce, but also because my classmates give a lot of useful information that might be useful in future.