On a normal Thursday evening Professor Larry Tung arrives at York College at two o’clock to teach a course on Foundations in Communications Technology for spring 2016. He travels via E train with a collective and professional approach that exudes humble roots. The foundation in which Tung derives from establishes him as a highly qualified Communications Technology Professor.
Professor Tung cultivates his knowledge from his master’s degree at the Columbia Graduate school of journalism in 2012, masters of fine arts degree in television production at Brooklyn College in 2002, and bachelors in business administration with a commercial design major at Ming Chuan University at Taiwan in 1996.
On top of his many dedicated years as a student, Tung works closely with documentary making which includes his award winning work titled “Coming Full Circle”. Tung’s work won best documentary at the Ithaca Pan Asian American Film Festival in April of this year.
“It’s a documentary about a New York based transgender rights activist. Her name is pauline park and she’s actually based in queens and she came to our campus last year. So the documentary is about her first visit to Korea since she was adopted at seven months old. So she’s a transracial adoptee and she was adopted in the early 60’s from an orphanage in Korea and raised by white parents in Wisconsin.” says Tung
Pauline grew up in a all white neighborhood and didn’t have exposure to Korean culture until her years in college and studying world history. Last summer Tung followed Paulina as she went to Korea for the first time and followed the journey of learning and celebrating culture.
Native to Taiwan China, Tung traveled to the United States as a graduate student at the age of 26 years-old. Learning english in taiwan through their school system benefited his journalistic career covering politics for Taiwan News.
“So i think my interest in journalism started there because i didn’t study journalism. I was a design major in college and the only reason I had the job is because i speak english, and i could write in english, and i can write in english.”
“I really didn’t have a lot of interest in journalism but as i was working as a journalist I really fell in love with journalism. It was just so interesting. I would learn new things everyday and it was a privilege to meet all the politicians and learn about important public policies. So i feel like it’s a very important job.”
Familiar beats worked on after Taiwan included predominantly the Asian LGBT communities and education. Working for The Gotham Gazette, Feet In Two Worlds, and radio work on Uptown Radio helped Tung develop his beat and rapport in the LGBT community.
Tung feels the coverage of asians is often under-reported and set his career to advocate and best represent asian culture. Alongside his documentary and journalistic work resides a devotion to teaching and helping students better prepare themselves for the work force.
Now working for CUNY for almost over two years Tung is grateful to be apart of New York and help the York College community make way for communications technology and journalism majors.
“I think that sometimes we go into some stories and sometimes you feel very out of place. Because of my racial background, but sometimes other people don’t really care. Sometimes it’s you holding yourself back. So i feel like you should go for it. Don’t let anything stop you. Of course it’s easier said than done but i think when you have to do your job well, you just have to get it done.”