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DALLAS, TEXAS, April 30, 2004: In the 1960’s and 1970’s, an individual from outside the U.S.A could immigrate to America if they were able to invest $10,000 to run a business. It was during this time that the Gujarati community from India established itself in the hotel industry. From humble beginnings, as the hotels purchased initially were often in run-down areas, today, according to the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) in Atlanta, “They own about half of the US economy lodging facilities and almost 37 percent of all hotel properties here. The ethnic group now owns about 20,000 hotels — about 1 million rooms — in 50 states.” Chekitan Dev, professor of marketing at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration adds, “The children of the first generation of hotel owners have taken the path followed by many other second-generation immigrants. We are turning out a lot of second-generation hotel owners. They are using their education to take their business to the next level.” The article also tells about the success story of H.P. Rama who started with a small investment and purchased a 37-room hotel in Pomona, California. He is now the head of JHM Hotels, which runs 32 properties, with 5,000 rooms, in nine states. Rama says, “I have no doubt that the second generation will dominate the lodging industry in this country in all segments of the market.”

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