 | The small business owners who are foreign-born naturalized citizens represent a larger precentage than they are in the population as a whole. A recent New York Times editorial, Immigrants and Small Business, found that 900,000+ small businesses in the US were owned by immigrants representing 18% of the total. Many may be mom and pop operations but if even a few have the potential of a Forever 21 then the US economy is the better for it. |
Do Won Chang (Hangul: 장도원) is an American businessman of Korean descent. He is best known for founding the clothing retail store Forever 21.
Chang grew up in South Korea and moved to California at 18 in 1981. He and his wife, Jin Sook (Hangul: 진숙), opened a clothing store then named Fashion 21 in 1984 in Highland Park, Los Angeles. His store took off and as he expanded to other locations, the store's name was changed to its current title Forever 21. The number of stores grew to 457 by 2010.[1] The company has since remained a family operation. Forbes in 2011 estimated Chang and his wife's net worth to be $2.2 billion.
Chang grew up in South Korea and moved to California at 18 in 1981. He and his wife, Jin Sook (Hangul: 진숙), opened a clothing store then named Fashion 21 in 1984 in Highland Park, Los Angeles. His store took off and as he expanded to other locations, the store's name was changed to its current title Forever 21. The number of stores grew to 457 by 2010.[1] The company has since remained a family operation. Forbes in 2011 estimated Chang and his wife's net worth to be $2.2 billion.
