Posted on 09/03/2012 8:23:00 AM PDT by JoeProBono
ST. PAUL, Minn.- U.S. fast-food giant McDonald's apparent first attempt to use billboards to advertise its breakfasts to Hmong-Americans has left it with egg on its face.
Two billboards written in the Hmong language went up this past week in St. Paul, Minn., home to a large portion of the United States' Hmong immigrant population.
They read: "Yuavtxhawbpabraukojsawv yuavntxivzograukoj mus."
It's meant to be Hmong for "Coffee gets you up, breakfast gets you going." But the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Saturday some Hmong say the phrasing is awkward and words are run together.
"It sounds weird in Hmong because we don't really talk like that," Bruce Thao, 28, of St. Paul said. "Either way, there should definitely be spaces in between those words."
Dr. Thai Lee, a former chief resident at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul, said while he thinks "it's great" mainstream businesses are becoming aware of the Hmong community, he's not keen on a fast-food company pushing menus not considered the healthiest.
As for the billboard's wording? It's a run-on sentence, he said.
"The text is also wrong, missing key breaks in the language," Thai Lee said. "As it stands right now, it doesn't make sense at all."
The same people who tried to market the Chevy Nova in Latin countries.....”No va” in Spanish means “don’t go.”
Tonto means “fool” in Spanish
“Drop your panties, Sir William; I cannot wait until lunchtime!”
Maybe Mcdonalds should just stick with pictures on their billboard.
There was a McDonald’s near where I lived in Raleigh, NC, that had a sign that was supposed to say “Now Hiring One Closer” but instead said (for a LONG time) “Now Hiring One Loser”.
I have never dealt with the older family members, but a lot of college students a a couple in DOD. Obviously my contact is more limited than yours. I am not sure on your 2nd and 3rd generation though, most of the Hmong immigrated to the United States in 1976 through 1978. That is roughly 32 years ago.
sorry, there are 3 generations living here that speak little to no english, from my experience is that only if their parents were born in st paul, they speak english, of course this is not a scientific study, just observation. Being a “young” single white guy in their neighborhood, i am always the beneficiary of their culinary delights!
No doubt, love the food from that region. My son dated a Hmong girl once, very possesive actually to the extreme. Kinda funny to me but he did not think so!
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