I recently spent time with Mr. Patel, who proudly showed me some of the well-appointed rooms in his newest hotel. The luxury boutique hotel is far from the ubiquitous ‘Patel motels’ that offer discount lodging for weary travelers along America’s highways.
Patel, the most common surname among Gujarati South Asian Indians, is from Gujarat in India. Gujaratis have now come to dominate the US hospitality industry. They own 42 percent of hotel properties in the US, worth a combined $40 billion.
Over 100 hundred thousand South Asian Indian people now call DFW their home, with a large majority being Hindu. In addition to Gujarati South Asian Indian speakers, there are significant numbers among other South Asian language groups (e.g., Tamil, Telegu, Nepali) in the DFW area.
Coming to the US with high levels of education, a strong work ethic, and an entrepreneurial spirit, the South Asian people are making a significant impact in the DFW metro area.
The Gujarati people are not only hotel owners, but many are physicians. South Indians, along with Filipinos, compose the largest immigrant group in the US medical community.
Moreover, they have become CEOs of corporations such as PepsiCo and Citigroup. In contrast, others have expanded small businesses into thriving enterprises like the Patel Brothers grocery chain, a Gujarati-owned business with forty-one stores across the US.
It’s important to note that the South Asian Indian community is not a monolith. While many are well-educated high achievers, recent arrivals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds are also struggling. Your support can help bridge these gaps.
With the above in mind, we at DBA have prioritized church planting among the 100 thousand plus South Asia Indian people in DFW. We invite you and your church to join us at DBA in this endeavor. We invite you to become:
1. EMBRACING CHURCH: Join us in prayer for the South Asian people. Contact us at DBA for prayer material on the South Asian Indian people.
2. SPONSORING CHURCH. Provide DBA with funds for new South Asian Indian church planters that we have identified and are training. Reach out to us to connect you with a South Asian Indian church planter who needs both prayer and financial support.
3. HOSTING CHURCH. Provide space within your current church facility for a South Asian Indian church planter and believers to worship and grow in Christ.
Consider for a moment how you and your church can join us in one or more of the above three ways as we reach the nations together, specifically the South Asian Indians in DFW, who are now our neighbors next door.
For more information on how you and your church can get involved in this exciting endeavor among South Asian people, contact us at DBA. We are more than willing to help.
This story and the church planting endeavor among South Asian Indians do not end here. We will share other church-planting endeavors in future newsletters.
