American named 弗兰德
Dear Colleagues,
I am hoping that someone can help me identify the American whose Chinese name is 弗兰德.
Here’s some context: I am currently working on a manuscript on Chinese internationalism during the Cultural Revolution. In 1967, there was a conference held in Beijing to discuss the various ways that Liu Shaoqi had stymied international revolution. At this conference, an American named 弗兰德 gave a speech criticizing the American Communist Party for being too revisionist and for having its members read Liu’s How to be a Good Communist. The speech was reprinted verbatim in the Red Guard newspaper 外事红旗.
A colleague suggested that this might be Frank Coe, but I always understood Coe's Chinese name to be 弗兰克. If anyone could point me in the right direction, I would be grateful.
Best,
Zachary Scarlett
8 Replies
Post ReplyDear Zachary,
Considering the limited knowledge of the Red Guards about the outside world and foreign languages, my hypothesis is that it might be just a mistranslation of "American friend".
Best wishes,
Kaixuan
Dear Zachary Scarlett,
If no one on this list knows 佛兰德's English name, one person who might is the Chinese historian 何蜀. He mentions the same incident in this article .
Best,
Covell
My guess, and it’s only a guess, would be Liebel Bergman. I am afraid I cannot check this as my files are in New York and I am currently in Hanoi. But Bergman was an anti CPUSA Communist later affiliated with the Revolutionary Union/Revolutionary Communist Party that was Maoist. He also lived in China during the 1960s. His papers are at the Taimiment Library at NYU.
He was married to Vick Garvin who was also in China during that time.
I’m right
Tom
A. Tom Grunfeld
SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, Emeritus
Empire State College/SUNY
100 Morton Street, #PHBW
New York, New York 10014
Tel: 1.917.957.4119
The identity of the person you are looking for, Zachary, is likely to be Robert Friend, a/k/a 罗伯特•弗兰德!
Merry Christmas,
Michael
I knew Robert Friend and Frank Coe in Beijing in the 1970s.
The reference is definitely to Robert Friend, american communist from California high school teaching, who got in trouble over loyalty oath business and moved to China in 60s. He was quite dogmatic and behaved this way during C.R. Frank Coe never would have done such a thing...during C.R. he stayed out of chinese politics, wisely
steve mackinnon
Additional point: Friend traveled to Hanoi and went on radio to propagandize american troops, around this time, 1967. Needless to say he never returned to the U. S. Married an Italian communist and died 10-15 years ago? steve mackinnon
It is really interesting to see this discussion! I happen to had some research on Robert Friend. He was 1963-1970 in China, working in Chinese international propaganda institutions like Xinhua news agency and CRI. A English book named The black eel was translated by Robert Friend and Yang Xianyi. As he went to Hong Kong in 1970, the New York Time wrote an article about him: https://www.nytimes.com/1970/10/13/archives/michigan-man-quits-china-wi…
His wife's name is Primrose Gigliesi, Italien communist, has worked on the Italien translation of Mao's works. Their son Andy Friend, who still lives and works in Beijing. There is an interview with his son: http://www.chinaqw.com/zhwh/2019/01-29/214231.shtml
Best,
Xiao
Did you see my reply....thank you....he returned to Beijing. I knew bob and primrose and son andy , in beijing, friendship hotel in the late 1970s...primrose was very close to Xianyi and Gladys Yang. Thanks interesting reply...best, steve