In 1994, in the city of Luoyang, China, Franklin businessman Jeff Wang began his long journey towards American citizenship and personal independence. Luoyang is approximately 7,127 miles from Franklin, where Wang and his family now reside. Wang is an owner and operator of two local businesses – Carolina Cleaners, a dry cleaning service shop, and Jeff’s Ammo and Arms, a gun store with indoor firing ranges.
In 1980, while in high school in China, Wang met a group of Western tourists from Franklin who told him about the small-town vibe and surrounding natural beauty. He was intrigued and began to focus on his English studies, hoping to one day visit America.
Wang began his journey to the United States in 1994 at the age of 32.
“I came to America for the ‘American Dream.’ In Western history class, we learned about the freedom of American democracy… I loved listening to the words on American radio.”
In China, learning English is a mandatory part of public education. When Wang left China, he did not stress about his new journey.
“When you’re young, you just go to have an adventure, but it was not easy to come here. I had no money and had to borrow money to get here.”
Upon arriving in America, Wang traveled to many places around the U.S. to see where he would like to settle down. He visited New York, Maryland, Washington, and Florida. Then, in 1995, Wang landed a job in Sylva at a Chinese restaurant. He worked there for a year before settling in Franklin in 1996.
In Franklin, Wang began working at Happy Garden Chinese restaurant and was provided room and board. Wang began to save his money and pick up additional shifts as a landscaper in his spare time. In 1998, Wang’s two children from China reunited with him and moved to Franklin. Wang’s parents followed suit and moved two years later.
After saving a substantial amount of money, Wang opened Carolina Cleaners in 2000. Then, after almost a decade of living in America, Wang obtained his United States Citizenship in 2005, a day he remembers fondly.
Wang was raised in communist China during the Cultural Revolution, which lasted from 1966 to 1976. He shared his view that America is an “excellent country,” for the freedom it secures and bequeaths to its citizens. He recalled, “When I grew up in the Cultural Revolution, if you accidentally stained Chairman Mao’s picture, even if it was not on purpose, you were probably going to die.”
In light of this harsh reality, Wang expressed his gratitude for the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees the right to free speech for all. Wang said, “You can talk. When you can talk about your leader and stand the next day, you are not in a dictatorship. When you talk about your leader and they kill you, you’re in a dictatorship.”
On the day he received his citizenship, N.C. Congressman Charles Taylor hosted a ceremony for Wang and presented him with a flag that had flown atop Capitol Hill, along with letters from Congress.
Upholding the Second Amendment
In 2012, a young man executed a tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. As a result, nationwide gun conversations were ignited. Shortly thereafter, American gun owners became fearful of possible changes in firearm legislation which led to an increase in gun and ammunition sales. With the high volume of purchases, an ammunition shortage ensued. Wang, being a gun owner since 1997, started selling guns and ammunition in a small glass display case in the storefront of his dry-cleaning business.
“You don’t have to buy one, but there should be access [to guns]. I know there is criticism out there because of mass shootings, but in China, there are no guns, and people still kill each other left and right. The freedom is very important [to own guns]. I’ve been there, I know what it [freedom] is,” said Wang.
Since 2013, Wang has owned a second storefront beside Carolina Cleaners: Jeff’s Ammo and Arms.
Locals consider Wang’s business to be one of the largest gun and ammunition dealers in Western North Carolina, with upwards of 1,000 guns in stock. In the rear of the store are two fully operable indoor firing ranges. There, local law enforcement agencies, such as the Macon County Sheriff’s Department, find utility in training and qualifying purposes.
Wang also hosts concealed carry classes open to the public. These classes are instructed by retired local law enforcement officer, Tony Carver. At Jeff’s Ammo and Arms, customers can find plenty of different firearms for various uses, firearm accessories, and ammunition in extensive calibers.
Not only did Wang achieve the American Dream by becoming a business owner, but he believes in and adheres to the American Constitution – which offers tenets that he did not grow up with but that he is glad to live under.