A controversy has broken out at a restaurant in Philadelphia...over a sign. Geno's Steaks of South Philadelphia, operated by the grandson of Italian immigrants, decided it was tired of people placing their orders in languages other than English. So owner Joey Vento decided to hang a sign that said "This is America - when ordering, speak English." Uh-oh. As you can imagine, this went over in certain quarters like a cold Philly Cheese steak.

The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations has weighed in...and is pursuing an investigation. OMG! Human rights violation! Evidently the sign violates some sort of city ban on discrimination. But does it? The sign doesn't say this group or that group will only be served. It doesn't say "Italian-Americans only" or "Whites only." It simply says that you have to place your order in English.

This restaurant is a private business. Private businesses always reserve the right to serve whomever they want. If this is such a big deal, then the free market will take care of it. If non-English speaking cheese steak orders are a high volume business in Philadelphia, then Joey Vento will lose out. But to fine him or shut him down is simply a violation of the First Amendment.

And besides, what restaurant can you go to where you can order in different languages? Try that at the drive-thru window sometime.

By: Boortz

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,198757,00.html

sounds fine to me.

might be a bad business decision but owners make those all the time.

It's a great business decision. Insisting on English provides clarity of communication in ordering resulting in less waste of product.

I'm going to be sure to stop at Geno's the next time I am in Philly.

Sounds about right to me too.......

I often forget how many cultures u have in America.......

When in Wales speak welsh,,,when in Germany speak German,,,,when in Spain speak Spanish,,,,,,,when in England speak English,,,,when in America,,,,,also speak English.......:hula:

Exactly, Red. Some people don't understand that amazingly simple concept.

Thank You!

Sounds about right to me too.......

I often forget how many cultures u have in America.......

When in Wales speak welsh,,,when in Germany speak German,,,,when in Spain speak Spanish,,,,,,,when in England speak English,,,,when in America,,,,,also speak English.......:hula:

When in Wales speak welsh,,,when in Germany speak German,,,,when in Spain speak Spanish,,,,,,,when in England speak English,,,,when in America,,,,,also speak English.......I would say it more like this:
When in America, speak whatever you want to. Just don't expect everyone else to speak it too.

Jester, no one is saying yo can't speak the language of your mother country. What is being said is, when conducting official government business, ie voting, taking the oath of citizenship, geting a driver's license, etc., you should speak English. You should not expect to be catered too by having government pronouncements written in a foreign language, having parallel school systems run in a foreign language, having road signs and directions in a foreign language. You should not expect people to learn your language in order to make it easier for you to communicate. You should instead learn English.

Yes, that's pretty much what I meant, so you won't get any argument from me there.

Gosh,,,,,i think i might post more on the Politics part......

:D

Nobody disagreed with me...

Jester, no one is saying yo can't speak the language of your mother country. What is being said is, when conducting official government business, ie voting, taking the oath of citizenship, geting a driver's license, etc., you should speak English. You should not expect to be catered too by having government pronouncements written in a foreign language, having parallel school systems run in a foreign language, having road signs and directions in a foreign language. You should not expect people to learn your language in order to make it easier for you to communicate. You should instead learn English.
Speaking of which, check this link out:

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.....

http://www.americancomedynetwork.com/FLASH/MexTourism.htm

I understand that this country started with English in the East, but before then it was Spanish in all the south west and west ... But anyway what I see is an attitude towards foreign languages, as if some of the English speaking people are loosing something, if you don't care about a foreign language, well don't speak it, but those who want to do so have the right to do it. This issue is similar to what some people did with the natives long ago here in USA, as the Australians did with their natives, forcing them to speak English. Some English speaking people seem to be just "too good", and look at others over the shoulder, as if the foreigners were subhumans... These foreigners could be even smarter than many nationals, but in their own language. I know a country that in official documents, and also in court, right after giving name, age, place of birth, it is added that the person giving a testimony is intelligent in a given language, if any other with a different language gives a testimony, then it is recorded that that person is intelligent in that other language... (of course will need an interpreter). And no one bitches about a foreign language, as some people do here.
This language issue and the gay issue could be solved simply by: If you don't like Italian, French, or Russian, or Spanish, then don't speak it or learn it, same thing goes if you are against GAY marriage, quit dating your same sex boyfriend or girlfriend and don't marry him/her.
If foreign people need something from the English world, then they will learn it by necessity ...

" ... If foreign people need something from the English world, then they will learn it by necessity ..."

Like ordering food. Isn't that a necessity?

if you don't care about a foreign language, well don't speak it, but those who want to do so have the right to do it.
Great, so that means private businesses such as Geno's can speak in English at their leisure and don't have to accommodate foreign-language speakers? Good, moving on.

If foreign people need something from the English world, then they will learn it by necessity ...
Unless they twist some arms to get the English US to serve the needs of the Spanish-speaking segment of society.

Jester, no one is saying yo can't speak the language of your mother country. What is being said is, when conducting official government business, ie voting, taking the oath of citizenship, geting a driver's license, etc., you should speak English. You should not expect to be catered too by having government pronouncements written in a foreign language, having parallel school systems run in a foreign language, having road signs and directions in a foreign language. You should not expect people to learn your language in order to make it easier for you to communicate. You should instead learn English.

I agree with what you are saying, but there are people who want to force even private conversations in public places to be held in english, they get pissed when they hear people speaking in a foreign language, today's scapegoat is the spanish language, tomorrow who knows which one will they get pissed about.

The thing that steams me is that if one goes to, say, Puerto Rico they'll tell you, from the maids on up to the Government itself that Puerto Rico is a spanish speaking CULTURE. SPANISH is spoken in Puerto Rico, period. Yet, we can't do the same thing here. It seems that the same people who are telling us that we must respect other cultures are telling those other people from differing cultures that they don't have to respect OUR culture.

Baloney. Setting rules, hell saying no isn't racist or discriminating in any way shape or form. We're not asking those who come to our country to give up their ways, we're asking them to adopt OUR ways, dammit.

Great, so that means private businesses such as Geno's can speak in English at their leisure and don't have to accommodate foreign-language speakers?

I don't think that those speaking Spanish are demanding that there should be a menu in Spanish, it is those who own their businesses that make their Spanish signs and advertising, to expand their clients into the Spanish speaking people, it is just business, they want that the Spanish or any other foreign language people come to their businesses and spend their money there. Your politicians do the same, or is there anybody going to tell me that your politicians are forced to send their messages in this or that other language.
It is all just hypocrisy.

We're asking them to adopt OUR ways, dammit.

And what are these ways called OUR ways?, that anyone thinks are different from the ways foreigners have, If anyone can make a list of them, leave the language aside, because I don't think speaking has anything to do with ways. I'll be glad to tell if there is anything different, but really different, besides language.

Let me make myself clearer. The English language is the glue that binds the U.S. together. There are too many people from too many other nations for the U.S. to be able to afford to allow select groups of immigrants to not assimilate into this culture by not learning the english language.

Let me make myself clearer. The English language is the glue that binds the U.S. together. There are too many people from too many other nations for the U.S. to be able to afford to allow select groups of immigrants to not assimilate into this culture by not learning the English language.

Well, I know a little English to be able to work in a 100% English company, but still keep my language and my kind of food, (though there isn't really something US about food, every dish comes from some country south of the border or from across the oceans), I still keep my music, my sports (don't care about basketball, Rugby-Football, or baseball). I do like some of the music played here (oldies), but it is so international, that it isn't US anymore; I like the blues, but this is black music. Don't care about country music, maybe a few of the old songs (liek "Ode to Billy Joe", "Harper Valley PTA"), but today's country suck!. I do like the US far from the big cities, where violence is minimal. Maybe religion could be part of the US culture, but no one can force foreign people to become protestant.

The children of these new immigrants will learn English and they won't even have an accent they will be fully integrated, and many of them will not keep their parents tongue. But it is always the first generation that has a hard time learning it, and most of them will learn enough to get by, when they need to communicate with English speaking people, but among them, it is still easier to use their own language. New Jersey has lots of polish people, and they talk to each other in polish, had a hard time with them, since I know zilch about polish, they use English when they need to only.

But a language is not "culture", culture is something else. "Culture is in part a set of principles and values, culture is how you act within your family circle and also with friends, the ways of showing love to each other, and to any group of people, US may not have an identifiable culture, since there are so many people from everywhere as you say. So please tell me what is exactly the US culture, I haven't figure that out yet, and it is probably because there isn't much of a difference from what I see in other western countries.

Now if you are talking about the differences between the Eastern societies and the Western societies, then there is a lot a difference. But with countries like Mexico or any other south of the border, or from Europe there are no major differences except for the language. Maybe life in US is a bit money pursuing, and people love to buy lots of things just because they are on the shelves of the stores and have to have them in order to be happy, but people from other countries buy just what they need and live happy too, they don't have to keep up with the Jone's. They go to work in a little car, and don't need to ride a huge dinosaur to get to the same place, cars are like planes, and if you go from La Guardia Airport in New York to the Kennedy Airport you take a little plane or a helicopter, but not a 747 shuttle between airports. So why drive a huge GM dinosaur like the Yukon or Escalade to go shopping, or is it to show off, and that can care a less about burning uselessly fuel that could be saved, therefore save money too. So this could be a difference between the US born people and the foreigners.

MacDonald, Burger King, Wendy's aren't US culture, they are just corporations that with the hammering of their advertising people go to eat to these places and get fat..., by the way these corporations or local copies have invaded our countries too. So we do have the same kind of crap popping up everywhere in our cities ... As for me, I go to eat to places that are run by a US family that at the most owns a couple of restaurants. So I keep the flow of money within the locals, and I don't give it to the corporations, who can care a less for the little US town where I live.

Oh, and before I forget, lots of foreigners who don't speak good English or don't speak at all yet, care a lot about the politics in this our new country, and care for the future of the US, if this is not being assimilated, then what is it?, and most of us don't think anymore about politics in our old countries, since we are not there anymore.

fuck tourists :P

well hey the next time i go to germany or mexico... im going to speak ONLY ENGLISH.. and if they don't have interpreters and an english menu i am going to SUE that place!!!

LOL

doesn't that sound RIDICULOUS?

so does expecting every american business to cater to every other foreign language.

I'm not saying its not up to the business. I already agreed with their decision. I just think all the "It's american so speak american" stuff is funny. Tourism is big business, just seems like businesses adopting this might miss out.

I'm not saying its not up to the business. I already agreed with their decision. I just think all the "It's american so speak american" stuff is funny. Tourism is big business, just seems like businesses adopting this might miss out.

well hey the next time i go to germany or mexico... im going to speak ONLY ENGLISH.. That's what I do in Korea, since I don't know a lick of Korean. But when I go to a restaurant, I can often find the menu in English. The workers in these restaurants will also be willing to go through the struggle of taking my order in English, even though it may take a little more time and effort on their part. They realize that doing otherwise will cause them to lose a customer. I certainly don't expect my language to be accomodated everywhere, but if it is then it's better for both the business owner and the customer.

In the big cities with lots of tourism, it is smart to have their menus in different languages, if you want the money of the tourists, though most tourists do speak some English when they come here. I would agree it would be ridiculous if a little restaurant in some God's forgotten hillbilly town would have to post the menu in English and in foreign languages.

The whole thing about foreign languages is just against people coming from Mexico and speaking Spanish, since they come in big numbers, and lots of English speaking people feel threatened.

We should make a law that says that every restaurant should be able to serve customers in EVERY language. They also better have a couple hundred translators nearby so that they can give equal treatment to everyone. Wouldn't that be more fair :lolhit:

We should make a law that says that every restaurant should be able to serve customers in EVERY language. They also better have a couple hundred translators nearby so that they can give equal treatment to everyone. Wouldn't that be more fair :lolhit:

¡¡¡No, just a multilingual computer will suffice ... !!!
There are some translators (calculator size) for 8.99 at K-Mart. :woohoo: