Knowledge Saves Lives
Educating yourself on human trafficking — how to recognize it, respond to it, and prevent it — starts with you. Awareness is the first step toward change.
What Is Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking occurs when:
Force, fraud, or coercion are used to compel a person into labor or the sex trade, or
A minor is involved in any form of commercial sex act — regardless of coercion.
There are two main types of human trafficking:
Sex Trafficking – Exploiting individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for sexual purposes.
Labor Trafficking – Exploiting individuals for work through threats, manipulation, or abuse.
For Motel Owners and Staff
Trafficking often hides in plain sight — especially in the hospitality industry.
If you own or manage a motel, you have the power to make a real difference. Many victims go unnoticed simply because people don’t know what to look for.
Take a few minutes to review this Human Trafficking Awareness PDF and share it with your employees.
A single moment of awareness can be the difference between someone’s freedom and continued suffering.
Become Certified
We encourage you to take the BEST (Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking) online training and become certified.
“By taking BEST training, you will learn what human trafficking is, the signs of trafficking, how to safely respond, and how you can prevent trafficking from occurring. We offer industry-specific and generalized training.”
Every story matters. Every effort counts.
By educating yourself, you are helping to protect lives — and ensuring your motel is a place of safety, dignity, and respect for all.
What We Are Reading
We’re avid readers passionate about uplifting Asian-American voices.
Each month, we’ll highlight interesting stories from Asian-American authors whose work you need to read!
Join us on this journey—read with us!
This American Woman: A One-In-A-Billion Memior
By Zarna Garg
JUNE 2025
Zarna Garg’s memoir, This American Woman: One in a Billion, is more than just a story—it’s a love letter to resilience, identity, and the hilarity of being unapologetically yourself in a world that often expects you to shrink.
With the sharp wit that made her a viral comedy powerhouse and the raw honesty of someone who’s lived every beat of her narrative, Zarna takes us from her childhood in India to her journey as an immigrant mother trying to build a life in America—without losing herself in the process.
Her voice is unmistakably Desi, yet universally human. She speaks to every daughter who's felt torn between tradition and independence, every mother trying to raise her kids in a culture foreign from her own, and every woman who’s ever tried to carve out a space for her voice in a room that didn’t invite her in.
What makes this memoir hit home for us at Our Motel Stories is Zarna’s deep commitment to truth. She doesn’t sugarcoat the loneliness, the fear, or the deeply unfunny moments—but somehow, she still makes you laugh through them. Her humor isn’t just entertainment—it’s survival. It’s the way immigrant women have always made space for themselves in a world that didn’t always offer one.
This book is a must-read for anyone who believes in the power of storytelling to break stereotypes and bridge cultures. Zarna’s journey reminds us that one voice—when it’s authentic and brave—isn’t just one in a billion. It can echo through generations.
Anagram Destiny
By Grishma Shah
APRIL 2025
Anagram Destiny by Grishma Shah is a beautifully written debut novel that arrives at a crucial time, as immigrants, people of color, and other marginalized communities face increasing pressures and prejudices—often rooted in ignorance.
This novel offers a historically grounded exploration of the immigrant experience and the pursuit of the American Dream. It follows Aanya, a first-generation Indian American, as she embarks on a deeply personal journey to India, navigating love, loss, and self-discovery. Her past—shaped by a coming-of-age at a roadside motel in Georgia—intertwines with her connection to her childhood friend, Ayaan, whose name is an anagram of hers. Through lyrical storytelling, Anagram Destiny captures the complexities of identity, belonging, and the ties that bind us across continents.