that time said, “I used to go to Maryville every Saturday. One day a drunken white man came out of a bar and motioned to me saying, ‘Come here, slave!’ I said I was no slave man. He told me that his race ruled India and America, too.” Assimilation has always been an important part of American life. Furthermore, American immigrants found out that assimilation is not a one step process. They were forced to complete several steps on their way to being American. It was especially difficult for Indians because of their appearance (skin color, clothing, and distinctive speech).In East India, property ownership is a matter of pride. Unfortunately Indians were denied that simple right until 1947. Presently, Asian Indians own upward of 40 percent of all the motels in America with rooms of 150 and less. Asian Indians are following in the tradition of other immigrants, entering occupations or businesses that involve the entire family, said Bruce Stave, chairman of the history department at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. No figure exists, he said, yet stereotypes persist because when Gielar 4high numbers of immigrants become employed in specific occupations, their visibility is obviously greater. Another reason why Asian Indians go into motel business is because it provides work for the entire family. Each family member can clean carpets, fix broken equipment, and paint if necessary. Shah, who has owned the Coronet Motel in Berlin for five years, is an assistant foreman for Advanced Products Co. in New Haven. His wife, Pretta Shah, runs the motel and takes care of the family. Sometimes when she comes to the registration counter, her diaper-clad son trails behind her. Not all the new comers are professional and well educated. These people opened their own small businesses such as restaurants and clothing stores, which serve many ethnic communities.Many people are under an assumption that someone wh...
