Life Behind the Lobby by Pawan Dhingra - 9780804778824

Life Behind the LobbyIndian American Motel Owners and the American Dream\nAuthor(s): Pawan Dhingra\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Stanford University Press, United States\nImprint: Stanford University Press\nISBN-13: 9780804778824, 978-0804778824\nSynopsis\nIndian 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. \n\n 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 globaliza.