Not only loan, but a continuous strong investment from exporters from India who do not move that money back to India. ( Just like Apple or other tech giants are doing. )

I have to wonder if any Gujarati non-Patel Muslims turned up, would they be getting the same handshake loans?

Gujarat is a state in India, where there are a hundred million people or more. A specific tribe of people that happen to have mainly come from Gujarat gave handshake loans to each other, because they are part of the same tribe, and know each other, indirectly or directly. Why would they give handshake loans to just anybody, regardless of their religion or where they came from?

Non-Patel Hindus that are of the same caste as Patels would have a hard time getting Handshake loans. It is really tribal. Within Patels themselves, there are extensive intra-Patel clans.

I know, but I mean there are Muslim Patels too, is what I was driving at.

You wrote “non-Patel Muslims”.

And Patel is just a common name, it doesn’t mean you’re in the same tribe. Especially since in the old days tribes were frequently family oriented and religion was a big part of family.

But tribes keep changing. When everyone was immigrating and desperate, they acted as one and helped each other. Now, the successful ones and 2nd generations americans who can stand on their own have become their own tribe. They’re not going to reach out to their 2nd cousins who are poor and don’t know English well.

Now there are new tribes, mostly split along socioeconomic and education lines, regardless of religion.

Yes I did, implying that Patel Muslims might be given the benefit of the doubt, but non Hindus to boot wouldn’t.

They would not be part of the clan back in India, and would not be part of the clan here.