Frank Tang

He was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Kin Tang and Jung Shee. He grew up and worked in his parents’ grocery store. For 5 years, he attended elementary school in Hong Kong. He graduated from Phoenix Union High School. His subsequent studies at the University of Southern California were interrupted by World War II. During the war, Frank served in the U.S. Army from 1943-1946, where he was stationed in India, Burma, and China prior to being honorably discharged as a Staff Sargent.

After the War, Frank completed his degree at the University of Southern California. In 1948, he went to China where he earned a graduate degree from Yenching University (now Beijing University). After he graduated, he stayed in Beijing and became a professor at the Beijing Foreign Studies University. He was instrumental in founding the university’s American Studies Center in 1979. During his tenure, he wrote the book Language and Culture, an influential and widely read work that has been updated several times. Professor Tang was an editor for high school English textbooks in China for many years. He was also involved in the editing and writing for China’s National College Entrance English Exam for a few years. In 1989, he returned to the U.S. and continued working as an educator, teaching American Studies at the University of Hawaii. His students remember him as an excellent teacher, a thoughtful advisor, and a wise mentor.

In his final years, he lived with his son Duncan and his family in Chandler, AZ. He is survived by his wife of more than 67 years, Yiya Huang, children Donna and Duncan, son-in-law Zhaoqi Feng, daughter-in-law Xiaobin Duan, and his grandchildren, Freda, Karina, and Kevin. His sisters Mary Yee, Sue Kong, and Josie Tang, and brothers Jim Tang and Henry Tang preceded him. Frank loved to cook, eat, and talk with friends, relatives, and family. Many of us will forever miss his delicious dishes, interesting stories, and stimulating conversations.

When the pandemic is under control and our lives return to normal, the family hopes to celebrate, remember, and honor him and families and friends of his generation on a future date.