Strangers From a Different Shore: 10 – 13

“Most second-wave Asian Indians have found economic opportunities here to be much greater than in their home country.” (pg. 446)

In reading this quote, I had to go back and double check when this book was originally written. 1989, if I read the dates correctly, with updates and revisions in the version released in 1998, which I can only assume is the copy that I have.

I may be interpreting this incorrectly, but as I was reading, it seemed like the book was glorifying the “opportunities” that Asian Indians, which included “travel agency work, sari shops, and luncheonettes”. It goes on to say that you don’t really need capital to start off that way, but before that’s state it also says that many of them are college trained and educated. It seems rather hypocritical, doesn’t it? What is the point of being college educated if you can’t make use of your degree, and all the training you’ve been through? Why should they be expected to work jobs with awful hours, with very little gratitude ever given to them? The book is excellent, but I found myself a little disappointed in this aspect of it.  The most desirable thing that’s mentioned is that Asian Indians have quite the influence in the hotel/motel business, which could be quite lucrative if you were a stock holder or an owner.