Deval and Yamini Patel, an energetic couple in their mid-30s, bought My Market in New Paltz about two months ago, cleaned and stocked its shelves, rented an apartment in New Paltz, and began connecting with the community. They enrolled their six-year-old twin girls in school and they joined a Hindu temple in Poughkeepsie. They immigrated from New Zealand which is a “bit slow,” Yamini explains, and also expensive for an entrepreneurial young couple eager to resurrect a business or begin their own. “A family friend told us about My Market, so we decided to apply for an E2 Business Investor’s Visa to buy it,” Deval says. The Patels sold their house in New Zealand to raise the substantial funds necessary to qualify for the visa and purchase the store.
None of this felt daunting to them; they were beginning an adventure. The courage required runs in their families, and in the history of their ancestors in Gujarat, India, known for their business and political acumen. The Gujaratis are world travelers, moving across borders with ease, exploring and investing in financial opportunities on every continent, settling for a while, and then moving on. So vast are their extended families and friendship circles that wherever they go there are homes where they are welcomed, housed and fed. A friend of a friend of a brother or a cousin is always cited in answer to the question: How did you end up here?
Facebook posts announced their arrival and the reviews have been glowing. Customers are greeted with warm smiles and conversation, which Americans appreciate. The previous owners did not speak English well, which did not help their business. No effort was made to understand complaints about wilted produce or over-priced dry goods. The store descended into failure. Enter Deval and Yamini. “I love feedback,” Deval says, and means it. The store is buzzing with people. And Bill Hapeman, the guy who makes the sandwiches behind the counter has returned. “I’m so happy to be back,” he says. “I love this place.”
Deval and Yamini’s families migrated from India to New Zealand when they were children. They met while they were both studying and working at Burger King. “He spotted me,” Yamini says teasingly. Her English is inflected with a New Zealand/British island warmth, Deval’s is less fluent, but he is equally outgoing and self-confident. The “well-known twins,” as they are called at school, will undoubtedly soon be talking like their American classmates.
As India does not permit dual citizenship, the Patels surrendered their Indian passports when they became New Zealanders, and though they visit India from time to time, they will not be able to live there permanently again. Will they eventually become American citizens and retain their New Zealand nationality? They are not sure. It is possible, but difficult; the State Department explanations are arcane. The E-2 Business Investor Visas have to be renewed every two years and do not automatically lead to citizenship though their children can apply for it when they are 21. Indeed, the Patels are not immigrants in the traditional sense; they are transnationals.
With a Trump administration soon to be inaugurated, attention will be laser focused on immigration status and visa requirements. Deportations of undocumented workers in New York State are possible. The E-2 Investor Business Visa is only available to those with money from eligible “treaty countries.” Guatemala and Venezuela, where most of the migrants are from, are not eligible. What their fate will be in the months and years to come is unknown. Thankfully, the Patels are safe and documented, contributing to the Mid-Hudson Valley economy with their hard work, taxes, and expertise. Let us hope they stay here for a while.
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