Jagdish Mitter left India for the United States when he was just 19. He got his first job here the old-fashioned way: by going door-to-door. “I found someone from my village working at a deli. He spoke to his boss and I got my first job as a delivery boy at the World Trade Center.” Today, he’s a Scarsdale resident, father of two, and the proud owner of Best of Westchester-winning Royal Palace in White Plains (plus a few gas stations). He considers his biggest accomplishment being “a business owner in the land of opportunity.”
My Story: “I had a very hard life. I saw my parents struggle a lot when I was growing up and I wanted to make sure my kids had a good life. I believe in hard work and honesty. Being a foreigner in America is not easy, but hard work paid off. [I was] a delivery boy, busboy, chef, and, finally, I owned my own business. I opened my first restaurant on Central Avenue in Yonkers. Westchester is a beautiful place to live, and there are still a lot of business opportunities for minorities…I love to help anyone in distress, I love to help the community. I am involved in a committee to build a Hindu temple in White Plains. I love my wife; without her, none of the things in my life would have been possible.”
My experience with stereotyping: “As an Indian, back when 9/11 happened, I was afraid that I was going to lose my business.”
