Wednesday, June 14, 2006
This is AMERICA ... WHEN ORDERING, 'SPEAK ENGLISH.
While people are rising from the dead in Germany to watch the World Cup, things back home are amusing, as always.
In Philly, the City of Brotherly Love, a local legend of an establishment is seemingly legislating its own language policy. At Geno's Steaks, English is now the only accepted language of business. "Owner Joey Vento has said the signs are directed at a booming population of illegal immigrants near his business. In dozens of interviews with media outlets across the country, he has said Latino immigrants don't "pay the price" that his Italian-immigrant grandparents, stuck in an ethnic enclave because they could not speak English, had to. The newest immigrants, he said, are coddled with services available in Spanish. (from Philidelphia Inquirer of June 14, 2006)
The Philly Inqy goes on,
"A little sign like that?" exclaimed Penny Constantino, a South Philadelphian who saw the controversial signs for the first time while in line for lunch yesterday.
"I'll buy you a poster," she told Geno Vento, whose family owns the store at Ninth and Passyunk. "Why don't you make [the sign] bigger?"
"The only ones who have freedom of speech are the politically correct," said Tina Dolpies, 62, owner of New Leaf Flower Shop in South Philadelphia. "Why should [Vento's] opinion be suppressed? I don't think that's fair. That's not the America I know."
"Here's the thing," said another Geno's customer, an Indian immigrant from Dallas. "If I wanted to have a cheesesteak, wouldn't I learn how to say it?"
Two blocks from Geno's, two Mexicans said they didn't need Joey Vento to tell them to learn English.
"English is very necessary," said Oscar, a 20-year-old restaurant worker who declined to give his last name because he is an illegal immigrant.
A local radio sports station, WIP decided to test out this hard 'n fast policy. They sent an intern out to Geno's blessed with cojones and sophmore level Spanish. He flashed some bills and ordered in Spanish. He was served exactly what he'd ordered and the money was gladly accepted.
So, lesson learned. ANY language would be acceptable as long as dollars were being counted out. Check out the article; partial tongue in cheek, partial shock of the Cro-Magnon attitude (not to offend any Cro-Magnon reader out there!!).
The closing paragraph from the article?
"In more ways than one. The block remains the hub of a decades-old rivalry.
Oscar and Emilio, sitting on a step nearby, said they had ordered cheesesteaks - in English - at Geno's. But they prefer Pat's.
It has nothing to do with Geno's signs, the brothers said. Or even that several workers at Pat's speak Spanish. At Pat's, "it's better," Oscar said, in perfect English. "It's the best."
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