Week Ten: Mock Interviews Cont.

Namaskar (greetings) Everyone!

     This week I continued my mock interviews on Devon Ave with relatives and I have continued to keep an eye on the stores that have been opening and closing. I am sad to inform that Standard India has gone out of business. This was one of the first Indian restaurants to open on Devon Ave in the 1980s, but it relocated near Clark and Belmont in Chicago. This restaurant was a popular hotspot for locals and namely non-Indian customers. Unfortunately, it went out of business. This is interesting because the restaurant was in a different neighborhood and yet it faced the same doom numerous other Indian restaurants face. However, the restaurant did outlast the majority of Indian/Pakistani restaurants that have opened in the past three decades. Now all that remains is a "For Sale" sign across the storefront. Pista House restaurant on the intersection of Campbell and Devon has also closed down. This establishment was fairly new and owned by the same family that owns Ghareeb Nawaz. I thought that Pista House would have done well because of the success of Ghareeb Nawaz. Also Pista House was in the heart of the Indian/ Pakistani community while Ghareeb Nawaz is farther east. Again I must go back and modify the businesses that are located on Devon Ave. It is becoming increasingly difficult because a business seems to close down or spring up every week!
   
  I have continued with my mock interviews. I found interviewing one individual led me to so many more because families usually own these businesses. For example, I interviewed one store owner and realized that the rest of the employees of the store were all related to him. It is also helpful to know the store owners because they are really friendly and open to sharing their experience. Usually what happens is that one individual immigrates to the United States and then sponsors their other relatives to join them. These family members usually move in with the initial member or move in close proximity to them. If a family member starts a business, they usually do it with the help of their kin. The store owner also mentioned that it is more cost efficient to hire family than others. I am learning so much about the social dynamics of this neighborhood and why Devon Ave has become host to such an enormous Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi community in a mere two decades.