Clever, those McDonald people. The ad covers global warming as well as diversity!
Interesting coming from the mayor of a town named for a Latin American capital in a county named for a Nordic city.
A free market in a free country. If Spanish advertizing increases your customer base, then go for it. No se preocupe.
Isn't this contradictory to the guy in Philadelphia who put up the English Only sign?
Do we or don't we? PC is sooooo confusing.
¡Ay, qué lástima!
Finally, someone who has a "pair" and could give a crap about being PC.
Getting to the point when you place a call, the message (which used to say for English press 1) now has a message first in Spanish which (I assume) tells the listener, for Spanish press, whatever.
My parents both came from Montreal and spoke only French.
Although there were lots of French Canadians who emigrated to Vermont (and all over New England) there was NO multilingual signs or education.
When my mother started grammar school, she could not speak a word of English, but went on (with only a HS education) the executive secretary of the President of the largest University in Vermont.
Yes, like many other ethnic groups, we kept our French culture and customs (AT HOME) and in addition, I learned to speak (and still do) French, BUT we all went to English speaking schools and don't remember ANY second generation friends of mine who spoke only French.
Our local McD's had a Spanish menu in front of the English one several months ago. It was only there a matter of days before they understood it would be best to take it down.
I'm also angered at Wal-mart for having their freebie recipe cards in the produce section in Spanish. There's not a single English language recipe on the whole stand. One day I got out a red pen and wrote ENGLISH on a couple dozen cards and told the manager what I thought. I'm also not pleased that the vast majority of food products are in Spanish as well. Not dual English and Spanish but Spanish only. That same day, the couple ahead of me at the check out complained the credit card machine was in Spanish. Then I went out to get gas and there were stickers all over the pump in Spanish. I picked them off as the employee in the booth smiled. I have to pay more for gas to have a foreign language plastered all over US pumps? If they're so stupid as to not understand how to fuel their vehicles, they certainly don't need to be driving.
Last year, Jack in the Box had a slew of Spanish tv commercials. I haven't been back since.
Agreed. Our language unites. Advertisiong in foreign languages divides.
This is one reason why the Republican Party in New Jersey is such a dysfunctional mess. Lonegan was once considered a serious contender for statewide office, and for him to go and make such a big issue over this -- among all the other things that really need fixing -- speaks volumes of his poor political instincts.
It infuriates me in this country to have to "press 1 for English" - English should be the default. If a business has enough customers that want support in another language, then they can add that, but there should be no need to make a choice for English.
I had the occasion to be in a local MacDonalds the other day for the first time in 4-5 years. It used to be the help was African American, or local kids. This time, everyone working there was Hispanic, speaking Spanish among themselves completely, even talking about orders to the kitchen -- no way to know if they have it right if you're a normal American who doesn't speak Spanish -- and their accents in English when speaking to customers were so thick I had to ask them to repeat themselves several times in order to understand them. And this was in Greenwich, Connecticut, not some border town in Texas or California! Enough with the Spanish already! I don't patronize any business (unless it's a Spanish/Mexican/Latin American restaurant where you expect Spanish just as you expect French in a French restaurant or Chinese in a Chinese restaurant) where the help speaks primarily Spanish or the signs are in Spanish. Vote with your feet.
Actually, the only thing about these Spanish language signs is that I end up feeling like a foreigner in my own country. While no one sheds any tears over it I am, in essence, being disenfranchised by these folks.
I have no beef with immigrants and immigration, per se, the majority of us come from immigrant stock. But, if one relocates to a new country, one should do their best to assimilate into their new environment, NOT force the residents of the country to assimilate THEIR language, customs and traditions.
Arvest Bank (The Bank started and operated by the Walton Family of Wal-Mart fame) advertises Spanish-only on many of its branch marques.
For English, please press 1