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Jun attended the East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai, China. During his time as an undergraduate student, "China was in its most liberal period in terms of political freedom and social openness," Jun recalls. China became more accepting of Western ideas after the Cultural Revolution. This was the time period when my father met his English teacher, a graduate student from the University of Illinois. This teacher asked his students to choose an English name that satisfied their liking. Jun Tu became Daniel Tu.
"We all believed that China would quickly become a country adopting western capitalism and personal freedom while maintaining its own unique cultural heritage."
Jun outside of his dorm building at the East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai, China.
All of these ideals were destroyed with the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. Daniel was extremely distraught by this tragedy. It showed him the reality of the instability of his nation after he had hope that China was headed in the right direction.
"[It] made me want to know more about the outside world and explore," he says.
After the attacks, my father embarked on a solo biking trip across China to explore the vastness of its inner cities and rural areas. His experience made him realize that he enjoyed deviating from what he had always known.
Photos from my father's biking trip around China in 1989.
After graduating from college with a degree in International Law, Daniel worked for two years in Hefei, where he investigated smuggling cases for China Customs. There he met a few college graduate students studying at the University of Science and Technology of China. They were studying for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOFEL) and the Graduate Record Examinations (GREs) to prepare to apply to U.S. universities.
Daniel had always desired to be enlightened by Western ideas. Above, he is pictured in his college dorm room enjoying a Time magazine alongside a poster of Muhammad Ali while listening to American music.
"As a law student I never thought about studying abroad due to different legal systems and a lack of financial resources," my father recalls.
Jun was making about $30/month. However, he had always dreamed of going abroad and experiencing more freedom of choice. His friends inspired him to apply to U.S. colleges and guided him through the financial aid process.
"After studying hard for a year and with the benefits of good English skills from the American teacher in college, I successfully received a dozen or so admissions from prestigious universities including UPenn and NYU!" My father pridefully tells me.
Daniel and his parents before his departure for America.
All colleges Daniel applied to waived his application fees and many give him financial assistance. In the end, Boston’s Northeastern University offered him a Teaching Assistantship with a full tuition scholarship in addition to monthly stipends. Therefore, my father did not need to pay a cent to participate in this economics program in the United States. Daniel was ecstatic.
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