Authentic motels

I've sometimes told people it isn't an authentic American motel unless you can smell the curry cooking when you are checking in at the motel office.  Gujaratis from India now control over 40% of the hospitality industry in the U.S.

When I started driving across the country, many of the small independent motels were run by Indians, but most of the chains (which I hardly ever used) were staffed by Anglos.  Now you can find Indians in all kinds of motels, including the chains.

This is what is known in anthropology as an "occupational niche."  Almost all Amish are farmers, Somalis drive cabs, Irish at one time joined the police force, brick layers were often Italian, and so on.  Indian immigrants at this particular point in time often move into the motel and hotel business.

Tonight we are in the Mountain View motel in Maryville, Tennessee.  When we signed in, you could smell the curry.  I felt at home.