Posted on 06/09/2006 2:55:15 PM PDT by Rick_Michael
PHILADELPHIA -- Bistec con queso? Not at Geno's Steaks.
An English-only ordering policy has thrust one of Philadelphia's best-known cheesesteak joints into the national immigration debate............
has posted small signs telling customers, ``This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING `SPEAK ENGLISH.' "...........
Juntos, a Hispanic neighborhood organization, said it plans to send people to Geno's to try to order in Spanish and may pursue court action, depending on what happens.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Millions and millions of them.
WOW, this sounds like Canada, and we know how screwed up they are. Amen.
Methinks the idiot is you.
Good thing he didn't pull that on me. He wouldn't be going anywhere..........except to jail. : )
I would be surprised if there weren't some restaurants in France, Germany, or Poland where the proprietors and staff do not speak English. In Paris, I would expect most restaurants to hire staff that could manage at least some English, but in the less cosmopolitan areas I wouldn't.
I wouldn't accept the discrimination argument, but would think the city could argue that health inspectors need to be able to pose as customers and order food (which could then be bagged for analysis). It seems reasonable that the city should be able to conduct such inspections without notice (provided that it does not disrupt operations and pays for all food thus taken); this could be difficult if the restaurant can't accept orders in English.
BTTT
God bless this man for realizing that some things in this life and in this country exceed the "value" of money. No one wants to be poor or live in poverty but not everything is weighed against the dollar.
ping
If the owners do not speak "spanish", (more like bastardized pigeon spanish/indian/english) and neither do their American employees, just HOW are they expected to take ACCURATE orders in "spanish"?
Are they mandated to hire only employees who speak "spanish", paying them extra for their additional "skill"? So much for equal opportunity!
I have a firearms business, and I will not deal with anyone who cannot speak clear U.S. English.
If they cannot speak the language they cannot answer questions I am required to ask (under federal law), they cannot fill out the necessary paperwork without likely errors, and a "mistake" on the form 4473 can get them busted for a felony.
Allowing them to purchase a firearm when there is ANY reason to doubt they were truthful can land ME in a felony charge situation.
There are "spanish" version form 4473's available (there should not be) but I do not have any, and do not want them. I do not speak "spanish" and I never will, so there is no way for me to know that the answers given on a "spanish" 4473 are accurate or truthful.
If anyone wants to fully partake of the U.S. experience, weather it is cheese sandwiches or the second amendment, let them become citizens and learn to speak U.S. English!
I used to do a LOT of foreign travel.
Japan, So. Korea, Taiwan, Italy, England and Scotland*.
In every one of those countries there were business people who spoke passable to fluent English. Most often the upper management of the companies all spoke English, if not they had staff who's job was to accurately interpret for them.
Speaking English allowed them to conduct business in the language of worldwide success.
Restaurants and hotels had English speaking staff, so as to attract English speaking customers (and charge higher prices for their convenience).
If I had been in these countries to take up residency, take a citizens job, and demand benefits properly reserved to their own citizens, I would have expected and deserved a swift kick in the ass followed by deportation!
It's one thing to expect a company or service business to cater to special needs for tourist or business partners, it's quite another for invading aliens to demand special accomodation from a small business for a simple snack.
*Scotland, where the worst accent heavy, nearly unintelligible "English" was spoken.
I sent Joey Vento, the owner a hand written thank you note.
His address is:
Joey Vento
Geno's Steaks
1219 S. 9th Street
Philadelphia PA 19147
Just in case you wanted to know....
Thanks for the address.
Seems fair. I recall all the helpful folks in Taipei, Tokyo and Other places that worked around our lack of the local language when we were in their restaurants. This is just a stunt to ratchet up the ethnic hatred on both sides rather than address any problems.
Soup Nazi is an extreme comparison.
Correct me if I'm worng...but isn't business getting (justly) ripped for their willingness to surrender our national soveriegnty and culture that have birthed the environment that makes them rich? Aren't they getting ripped for knowingly breaking our laws and hiring illegals?
Well, here comes a business owner with his priorities as an American CITIZEN in proper perspective and doing what all should do. Helping encourage ASSIMILIATION.
He's right, you are not.
I'm sorry but that is ridiculous. By this logic any and all tourists to this country would have to learn English well enough to go anywhere or do anything. Have you ever visited another non-English speaking country? If not, I guarantee you that in most other places you go you will not be required to speak their language to go into a store and order food. If that were the case I would never would have been able to go anywhere during the seven years I spent in Europe. Instead I was able to go wherever I pleased. If I was in a place where I didn't know the language well enough I was never thrown out or refused service.
Besides, I hope you realize that immigrants who have come here legally did not all arrive in this country speaking perfect English. In fact, many of them knew no English at all upon arrival. My grandparents are a perfect example. They came here legally and spoke virtually nothing but Maltese, but over time learned English and became US citizens.
I understand your point about your firearms business and how you will only deal with customers who speak English. But we are talking about sandwiches here, not weapons. I hope you can see the big difference.
Businesses are getting ripped for breaking the law by hiring illegals. Selling someone who doesn't speak English a sandwich is not breaking the law, and if it ever did become illegal then we are truely f***ed. Any business owner who refuses service to someone because they do not speak English is an idiot. Thankfully there aren't many business owners around who are like this.
Let's just shut down the tourism industry in the country while we're at it, because not all tourists who come here speak English. Also, let's completely stop all legal immigration as well, because not all legal immigrants speak English either. Thankfully your standards weren't in place 50 years ago when my grandparents came here (legally) because if they were they would have starved to death due to not being served anywhere.
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