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In this moving and insightful work, Deepak Singh chronicles his downward mobility as an immigrant to a small town in Virginia. Armed with an MBA from India, Singh can get only a minimum-wage job in an electronics store. Every day he confronts unfamiliar American mores, from strange idioms to deeply entrenched racism. Telling stories through the unique lens of an initially credulous outsider who is "fresh off the plane," Singh learns about the struggles of his colleagues: Ron, a middle-aged African-American man trying to keep his life intact despite health concerns; Jackie, a young African-American woman diligently attending school after work; and Cindy, whose matter-of-fact attitude helps Deepak adapt to his job and his new life. How May I Help You? is an incisive take on life in the United States and a reminder that the stories of low-wage employees can bring candor and humanity to debates about work, race, and immigration.



About the Author

Deepak Singh

Deepak Singh is the author of two books, Chasing America: Of Lollipops, Night Clubs and Ferocious dogs, and How May I Help You? An Immigrant's Journey from MBA to Minimum Wage

He has written for print and radio, including outlets such as the New York Times, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, and NPR, and he's a frequent contributor to PRI's The World.

Born and raised in Lucknow, India, he grew up playing cricket on streets, in balconies, on terraces, on rooftops, on any flat surface he could find. He played marbles on the road, flew kites from the rooftops, and cut class to roam around the tall minarets in the historic parts of his hometown. As a young adult, on hot summer days, he bicycled around town in the early hours of the mornings and spent entire days in the only air-conditioned library he could find.

Pressured by his parents to find some direction in his life, he got an MBA, but he was quickly disenchanted by the corporate world. While finding his way, he taught economics at a high school, English language to medical doctors and school teachers before he landed a radio gig with the BBC World Service. He has been making radio and writing ever since.



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