Beate Sirota
Encyclopedia
Beate Sirota Gordon is a former Performing Arts Director of the Japan Society
and of Asia Society
, and was a member of the team that worked under Douglas MacArthur
on the Constitution of Japan
.
She is the only child of pianist Leo Sirota
, a Ukrainian
Jew who had fled war-torn Russia
and settled in Vienna
, Austria
. Sirota's family later emigrated to Japan
, where Leo Sirota taught at the Imperial Academy of Music (now Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
) in Tokyo
. She attended the German School for six years, until the age of 12, when she transferred to the American School in Japan
as a result of her parents deeming the German School "too Nazi"; she lived in Tokyo a total of ten years before she moved to Oakland
, California
, in 1939 to attend Mills College
.
During World War II, she was cut off from her parents who remained in Japan. In the US in 1940, she was one of only 65 Caucasians who were able to read, write and translate the Japanese language
.
During the war, she worked for the Foreign Broadcast Information Service
(FBIS) of the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC), for the Office of War Information. She also worked for TIME
magazine. As soon as the war ended, she went to Japan in search of her parents, who survived the war under detention in Karuizawa. She was the first civilian woman to arrive in post-war Japan. At that time, being fluent in Japanese, she worked for the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
(SCAP) as a translator.
When the U.S. began writing a new constitution for Japan, Sirota was enlisted to help and was assigned to the subcommitee dedicated to writing the section of the constitution devoted to civil rights. As one of only two women in the room, the other being economist Eleanor Hadley
, Sirota played an integral role in writing into the Japanese Constitution legal equality between men and women in Japan. In 1947, Sirota was a target of Major General Charles A. Willoughby's yearlong investigation of Leftist Infiltration, in which he tried, but failed, to construct a case against Sirota charging her with advancing the Communist cause within the new government of Japan.
Sirota currently resides in New York City and uses her married name, Beate Sirota Gordon. She has two children, Nicole and Geoffrey Gordon. She often makes appearances at schools, universities, and other institutions in the United States and Japan, giving lectures about her life.
/WorldCat
encompasses roughly 150+ works in 150+ publications in 4 languages and 1,000+ library holdings.
Japan Society (New York)
Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that aims to brings the people of Japan and the United States closer together through understanding, appreciation and cooperation...
and of Asia Society
Asia Society
The Asia Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia. It has several centers in the United States and around the world Hong Kong, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, and Melbourne...
, and was a member of the team that worked under Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
on the Constitution of Japan
Constitution of Japan
The is the fundamental law of Japan. It was enacted on 3 May, 1947 as a new constitution for postwar Japan.-Outline:The constitution provides for a parliamentary system of government and guarantees certain fundamental rights...
.
She is the only child of pianist Leo Sirota
Leo Sirota
Leo Sirota was a Jewish pianist born in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Podolskaya Guberniya, Russian Empire, now Ukraine....
, a Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
Jew who had fled war-torn Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and settled in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Sirota's family later emigrated to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where Leo Sirota taught at the Imperial Academy of Music (now Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
or is one of the oldest and most prestigious art schools in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju, Adachi, Tokyo...
) in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. She attended the German School for six years, until the age of 12, when she transferred to the American School in Japan
American School in Japan
The American School in Japan was founded in 1902 and is an international private day school located in the city of Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan. The school consists of an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school, all located on the Chōfu campus...
as a result of her parents deeming the German School "too Nazi"; she lived in Tokyo a total of ten years before she moved to Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in 1939 to attend Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
.
During World War II, she was cut off from her parents who remained in Japan. In the US in 1940, she was one of only 65 Caucasians who were able to read, write and translate the Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
.
During the war, she worked for the Foreign Broadcast Information Service
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
Foreign Broadcast Information Service was an open source intelligence component of the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Science and Technology. It monitored, translated, and disseminated within the U.S. government openly available news and information from media sources outside the...
(FBIS) of the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC), for the Office of War Information. She also worked for TIME
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
magazine. As soon as the war ended, she went to Japan in search of her parents, who survived the war under detention in Karuizawa. She was the first civilian woman to arrive in post-war Japan. At that time, being fluent in Japanese, she worked for the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
(SCAP) as a translator.
When the U.S. began writing a new constitution for Japan, Sirota was enlisted to help and was assigned to the subcommitee dedicated to writing the section of the constitution devoted to civil rights. As one of only two women in the room, the other being economist Eleanor Hadley
Eleanor Hadley
Eleanor Martha Hadley was an American academic, economist, and professor at Smith College and George Washington University.-Early life:Hadley was born in 1916, in Seattle...
, Sirota played an integral role in writing into the Japanese Constitution legal equality between men and women in Japan. In 1947, Sirota was a target of Major General Charles A. Willoughby's yearlong investigation of Leftist Infiltration, in which he tried, but failed, to construct a case against Sirota charging her with advancing the Communist cause within the new government of Japan.
Sirota currently resides in New York City and uses her married name, Beate Sirota Gordon. She has two children, Nicole and Geoffrey Gordon. She often makes appearances at schools, universities, and other institutions in the United States and Japan, giving lectures about her life.
Selected works
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about Beate Gordon, OCLCOCLC
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
/WorldCat
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
encompasses roughly 150+ works in 150+ publications in 4 languages and 1,000+ library holdings.
- Introduction to Asian Dance (1964)
- An Introduction to the Dance of India, China, Korea [and] Japan (1965)
- 1945年のクリスマス: 日本国憲法に「男女平等」を書いた女性の自伝 (1995)
- The Only Woman in the Room: a Memoir (1997)
-
- Oral histories
- The Reminiscences of Faubion Bowers by Faubion BowersFaubion BowersFaubion Bowers was General Douglas MacArthur's personal Japanese language interpreter and aide-de-camp during the Allied Occupation of Japan. He also was a noted academic in the area of Asian Studies.-Biography:...
(1960), with Beate Gordon - The reminiscences of Cyrus H. Peake by Cyrus Peake (1961), with Beate Gordon
- The Reminiscences of Esther Crane by Esther Crane (1961), with Beate Gordon
- Occupation of Japan Project by Eugene DoomanEugene DoomanEugene Hoffman Dooman served as counselor at the United States Embassy in Tokyo during the critical negotiations between the two countries during World War II. Born in Osaka to missionary parents of Assyrian background who themselves were born in northwest Iran, Dooman knew Japanese as a native...
(1970), with Beate Gordon - The Japanese Reminiscences of Roger Baldwin by Roger Nash BaldwinRoger Nash BaldwinRoger Nash Baldwin was one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union . He served as executive director of the ACLU until 1950....
(1974), with Beate Gordon - The Reminiscences of Burton Crane by Burton CraneBurton CraneBurton Crane was a New York Times correspondent on economics during the Occupation Period of Japan, and pop star in the same country, referred to as Japan's Bing Crosby....
(1974), with Beate Gordon - The Reminiscences of Douglas W. Overton by Douglas Overton (1974), with Beate Gordon
- The Reminiscences of Joseph Gordon by Joseph Gordon (1974), with Beate Gordon
- The Reminiscences of Harold G. Henderson by Harold Gould HendersonHarold Gould HendersonHarold Gould Henderson was an American academic, art historian and Japanologist. He was a Columbia University professor for twenty years...
(1976), with Beate Gordon - The Reminiscences of Dr. Lauren V. Ackerman by Lauren AckermanLauren AckermanLauren Vedder Ackerman was a prestigious American pathologist, who championed the subspecialty of surgical pathology in the mid-twentieth century.- Early life :...
(1976), with Beate Gordon - The Reminiscences of John R. Harold by John R. Harold (1976), with Beate Gordon
- The Reminiscences of Faubion Bowers by Faubion Bowers
- Oral histories
External links
- Biography (by Kuniko Fujisawa, Temple University Japan)
- Biography (by Lindi Geisenheimer, ASIJ: American School in Japan)
- Beate Sirota Gordon (1924 - ) (Sunshine for Women)
- The Gift from Beate (Blog about Beate Sirota Gordon and the documentary film "The Gift from Beate")
- The Only Woman in the Room (Beate Sirota Gordon speaks at Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury CollegeMiddlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
. @ YouTube 80:16) - Introducing Beate Sirota Gordon (Japanese university student introduces Beate Sirota Gordon to her peers in a classroom presentation)