TY - BOOK AU - Dhingra,Pawan TI - Life behind the lobby: Indian American motel owners and the American dream SN - 0804782024 AV - HD2358.5.U6 D45 2012 U1 - 647.94089/91411073 23 PY - 2012/// CY - Stanford, California PB - Stanford University Press KW - East Indian American businesspeople KW - Motels KW - United States KW - East Indian Americans KW - Social conditions KW - Economic conditions KW - États-Unis KW - Américains d'origine indienne KW - Conditions sociales KW - Conditions économiques KW - BUSINESS & ECONOMICS KW - Small Business KW - bisacsh KW - fast KW - Electronic books N1 - Includes bibliographical references and index; Building the diaspora -- Reaching for the American dream -- Business hardships and immigrant realities -- Professional appearances and backstage hierarchies -- The possibility of belonging N2 - Annotation; Indian Americans own about half of all the motels in the United States. Even more remarkable, most of these motel owners come from the same region in India andalthough they are not all relatedseventy percent of them share the surname of Patel. Most of these motel owners arrived in the United States with few resources and, broadly speaking, they are self-employed, self-sufficient immigrants who have become successfulthey live the American dream. However, framing this group as embodying the American dream has profound implications. It perpetuates the idea of American exceptionalismthat this nation creates opportunities for newcomers unattainable elsewhereand also downplays the inequalities of race, gender, culture, and globalization immigrants continue to face. Despite their dominance in the motel industry, Indian American moteliers are concentrated in lower- and mid-budget markets. Life Behind the Lobbyexplains Indian Americans' simultaneous accomplishments and marginalization and takes a close look at their own role in sustaining that duality UR - https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&AN=713431 ER -