NMAH copy purchased with funds from the S. Dillon Ripley Endowment.
Contents:
Building the diaspora -- Reaching for the American dream -- Business hardships and immigrant realities -- Professional appearances and backstage hierarchies -- The possibility of belonging
Summary:
"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 and - although they are not all related - seventy percent of them share the surname Patel ... Life Behind the Lobby explains Indian Americans' simultaneous accomplishments and marginalization and takes a close look at their own role in sustaining that duality."--Back cover