The Slowly Shifting Legacy Of The Motel Patels

When you're Indian-American, you know the term "Motel Patel" as a cross between an inside joke and a shorthand acknowledgement of an immigrant generation's success story. By the numbers, some estimates say 60% of all motels in America are owned by Gujarati Americans, with a disproportionate number of these entrepreneurs sharing the surname Patel (common among those hailing from the Indian state of Gujarat). Hence the term "Motel Patel" emerged over the past several decades.

Recently, a predictably modern problem is now coming to life: the next generation of Patels don't want to run these motel empires. An article about this generational shift showcases just how powerfully our parent's experience shapes the way we see the world. Many younger Indian Americans who grew up with motelier parents want to avoid the grueling hours and stresses their families had to endure. The article concludes, "as the Gujarati American community has transformed over the decades, the motel industry, too, is changing, no thanks to outsiders, but according to the ambitions of the next generation."

The story underscores a growing shift that will continue to take place in coming years as second and third generation family businesses undergo the challenges of either trying to maintain their legacy, or letting it go. For motels, or any other kind of business, this challenge of succession is going to get more and more common.