Betty Lee Sung (1924-2023)

The Asian American/Asian Research Institute (AAARI) mourns the passing of Dr. Betty Lee Sung, Professor Emerita of City College of New York/CUNY, and co-founder and former board chair of AAARI. Dr. Sung passed away on January 19, 2023, at her home in Silver Spring, Maryland, at the age of 98.

Dr. Sung was a prolific scholar, visionary leader, and persistent advocate for Asian American studies. She received her B.A. from the University of Illinois, M.L.S. from Queens College/CUNY, and Ph.D. from the CUNY Graduate Center. Her first book, Mountain of Gold: The Chinese in America (1967), was a path-breaking text that laid the foundation for the first Asian American studies courses on the East Coast at City College in the 1970s. She remained at City College until her retirement in 1992, where she had advanced to chair of the Asian Studies department. In 2015, Prof. Sung published her ninth book, a memoir entitled Defiant Second Daughter: My First 90 Years. She received the 2016 City University of New York Award from the CUNY Graduate Center. In 2017, the Association for Asian American Studies honored her work with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Much of Prof. Sung’s historical research can be found in the “Betty Lee Sung Collection” in the Asian American section of the U.S. Library of Congress.

In 2018, as a testament to her ongoing commitment to Asian American studies, Dr. Sung established a $100,000 endowment at CUNY for AAARI to host a research fund on Asian American topics, including the transnational adoption of Chinese children into American families – a subject of much interest to her. From its inception, AAARI’s work has been indebted to Dr. Sung’s determination, generosity, and investment in growing research, scholarship, and education that centers Asian American communities.

Joyce Moy, former Executive Director of AAARI, states, “Betty Lee Sung can only be described as a force. She defied traditional cultural and familial expectations as a woman, and broke Asian stereotypes, paving the path and opening doors to Asian American studies for so many who came after her.”

President of Queens College Frank H. Wu reflects that “Betty Lee Sung is a giant. She did so much for Asian American Studies. She is among the heroes in the field whom we need to remember.”

Russell C. Leong, editor of CUNY FORUM, shares that “Betty Lee Sung once told me that she knew my dad, the journalist Charles Leong, when she worked for Voice of America. This was before my 1950s generation. So Betty had a prenatal influence on my work as well; and I among many, many others are indebted to her trailblazing efforts to forge a Chinese American voice.”

“Betty, as we all knew her, was the revered Godmother of Asian and Asian American Studies at CUNY. Beginning with her legendary efforts at CCNY, she persistently advocated for over 50 years for curricular offerings and the creation of a university institute devoted to such studies. She will be sorely missed,” shares Jay Hershenson, Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President at Queens College.

Dr. Ravi Kalia, Professor of History at City College and AAARI Board Member, states that although Dr. Sung retired from CCNY before he joined its faculty, “her name reverberated in the halls. That is because she had single-handedly built the Asian Studies program, raising the profile of Asia that has remained marginal to American interests until more recently…We all have tried to follow her remarkable example.”

Dr. Sambhavi Lakshminarayan, Professor of Business at Medgar Evers College/CUNY and AAARI Board Member, remembers Dr. Sung as “a strong and motivational presence at AAARI. Although we were at different colleges and from very different disciplines, she was always affectionate and encouraging to me. I cherish those memories.”

The impact of Dr. Sung’s illustrious career continues to be felt among the generations of scholars and educators that have followed the various paths she traveled. Dr. Catherine Ma (馬嘉儀), Professor of Psychology at Kingsborough Community College/CUNY and AAARI Board Member, states, “I never knew [Dr. Sung] personally but she always inspired me to be the firsts of many things. In becoming the first Chinese full professor in my department and college, I stand proudly on her shoulders. She has inspired so many Asian academics who proudly stepped through the doors she opened for us, and we will continue to follow in her footsteps being the first but not the last.”

Funeral services for Dr. Sung will be held on Saturday, February 18, 2023 (10am to 12pm visitation; 1pm to 2:30pm funeral) at the Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home, 11800 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20904.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, October 15, 2023 at the Museum of the Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, in NYC Chinatown. Donations may be made in honor of Prof. Sung’s memory to Princeton University P.O. Box 5357, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08543-5357 or Museum of Chinese in America (https://www.mocanyc.org/mojo/dr-sung/).