Uncle Sam’s Gujju Bhai

After all, the enterprising community that owns motels, petrol pumps and departmental stores in the US could not let Modi’s entry issue become their exit point.

‘‘Modis may come and go but our interests are permanent in the the US,’’ became a common chant.

For an average and not-so-average Gujarati, America remains the land of opportunity. The number of Gujaratis in the US are estimated at five lakh to eight lakh. Thousands more live illegally and many more are desperate to get there.

‘‘There are always people ready to sneak in illegally. They are confident that their status will be eventually legalised,’’ says VGS secretary Jitendra Brahmbhatt. ‘‘It’s a win-win situation for all. For the Gujaratis aspiring for a high standard of living and for the US which gets cheap labour.’’

Even when away from the US, the Gujarati is never really away. Buildings named after American cities are constant reminders of what he’s left behind.

THOUGH the migration to eastern African countries began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it picked up momentum in the 1960s when Gujaratis driven by the dollar dream proved just why entrepreneurship runs in their blood.

‘‘I know Patels whose association with English does not stretch beyond putting down a signature but they are making money,’’ says a member of the Gujarat branch of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce.

Illiterate or semi-literate, education has never been a priority with the Gujaratis wanting to migrate. ‘‘They are ready to wash dishes and change sheets or work in department stores. They go prepared to struggle for four-five years before saving enough for a comfortable life,’’ says Shailesh Dave, a State Bank of India employee with a 10-year US visa.

‘‘There is no social life as the Americans never mix with them but the craze for migration does not diminish, ’’ he says.

This vacuum in social life is filled by caste-based Gujarati Samaj and Hindu temples that bring them together over the weekend. Swaminarayan temples have come up in all major cities of the US. ‘‘We represent Indian culture but we don’t restrict ourselves to only rituals,’’ says Jayesh Mandulka of Bochasanwasi Aksharpurushottam Santha that runs the famous Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar.

Political step

DESPITE their long strides in business, the community is yet to find its space in the politics of its adopted land. But that could soon change.

In the last senate elections, half a dozen candidates of Gujarati origin contested. Though all of them lost it was for the first that they contested in such a large number.

‘‘We always advise our members to be politically active in the US, after all it’s the most powerful country in the world,’’ says Vishwa Gujarati Samaj president Krishnakant Vakharia. At a public function, a Gujarati leader advised all those present to fund political parties rather than donate money to temples.

The new generation Gujarati is certainly more politically aware. Little wonder then that most of them stayed clear of the Modi issue. In fact, sensing that the US government was firm in its decision, some of the organisers who had invited Modi changed tack as well.

Cash trickle
CONTRARY to popular perception the NRG or the Non Resident Gujarati investment in Gujarat is not all that high. The NRG Foundation that works under the NRI Division of General Administrative Department has floated different schemes, seeking donations and investment from NRGs. And yet, all that has translated into little investment.

Secretary of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce’s Gujarat branch Piyush Vyas says most American companies have invested in Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Gurgaon and Hyderabad. Except for General Motors, Gujarat has not drawn any big American company either.

And what the Non Resident Gujarati sends back to his village is usually an attempt to boost his local status.

In contrast to the cash trickle back home are their investments in the US. The Asian American Hotel Owners Association, which accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the hospitality industry in the US, is dominated by Gujaratis, especially Patels. The association owns close to 20,000 properties, the total investment: $40 billion.