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Indian Immigrants Find Niche in Hotels

Many groups of immigrants made their first steps toward economic success in America by focusing on one type of business: think Korean groceries or Chinese laundries. When people from Gujarat, India, began arriving in California in the 1940s, some families found a niche running small cheap hotels. NPR's Laura Sydell reports.

Copyright 2004 NPR

Laura Sydell fell in love with the intimate storytelling qualities of radio, which combined her passion for theatre and writing with her addiction to news. Over her career she has covered politics, arts, media, religion, and entrepreneurship. Currently Sydell is the Digital Culture Correspondent for NPR's All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, and NPR.org.