Thread: Live Poll. News about Geno's

Live Vote
The owner of Geno's Steaks, one of Philadelphia's best-known cheesesteak joints, stirred controversy by posting signs telling customers, "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING `SPEAK ENGLISH.'" What do you think? * 7864 responses

It's his business. He's free to do what he wants.
23%

He has the right to his opinion but should show some sensitivity, anyway.
5.7%

He's absolutely right. Since when is encouraging English a crime?
65%

It's hypocritical and it perpetuates discrimination.
5.9%

I'm not sure.
0.7%
Not a scientific survey. Click to learn more. Results may not total 100% due to rounding.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13272368/
Philly officials eye eatery’s English-only sign
City agency expected to file complaint against cheesesteak owner’s effort

MSNBC News Services
Updated: 1 hour, 26 minutes ago
PHILADELPHIA - City officials are expected to file a complaint Monday against an English-only ordering policy at Geno’s Steaks, one of Philadelphia’s best-known cheesesteak joints that has entered the national immigration debate.
Situated in a South Philadelphia immigrant neighborhood, Geno’s has posted small signs telling customers, “This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING ‘SPEAK ENGLISH.’”

“We’re alleging that the sign itself is enough of an unwelcoming message that it may violate the Fair Practices Act,” Rachel Lawton, acting executive director of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Owner Joseph Vento, 66, whose grandparents struggled to learn English after immigrating from Sicily in the 1920s, said he posted the sign about six months ago amid concerns over immigration reform and the increasing number of customers who could not order in English when they wanted Philly’s gooey, greasy specialty — fried steak, sliced or chopped, in a long roll, with cheese and fried onions.

“They don’t know how lucky they are. All we’re asking them to do is learn the English language,” said Vento. “We’re out to help these people, but they’ve got to help themselves, too.”

Diverse community
The traditionally Italian community near Geno’s has become more diverse over the decades. Immigrants from Asia and Latin America have moved in, joining longtime residents and young professionals seeking reasonably priced rowhouses. In the past 10 years, an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Mexican immigrants — many of them here illegally, community leaders say — have settled in South Philly.

Vento said his staff is glad to help non-native speakers order in English and has never turned someone away because of a language barrier.


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I added link at bottom.

The Inquirer also quoted Mary Catherine Roper, a spokeswoman for the American Civil Liberties Union, who said Geno’s “has a right to express its opinion, however offensive. ... But there are specific limitations on places of public accommodation, because they are supposed to be available to everyone.”

A city councilman quoted in the paper said the signs were “divisive and mean-spirited.”

Cheesesteaks and ‘freedom fries’
When a non-English speaking customer showed up at the window a short time later, a clerk patiently coached him through the process. Eventually, both said “cheesesteak.”

Vento, a short, fiery man with a ninth-grade education, arms covered in tattoos and a large diamond ring in his ear, also sells “freedom fries” to protest France’s opposition to the Iraq war. He rails against Mumia Abu-Jamal, the black man who was convicted of killing police Officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981 and has become a cause celebre among some death penalty opponents. Memorials to Faulkner are posted at his shop.

Vento said he has gotten plenty of criticism and threats. One person told him they hoped one his many neon signs flames out and burns the place down, he said. But he said he plans to hold his ground.

Competitors are seizing on the controversy.

Tony Luke’s issued a statement saying it welcomes all customers “whether or not they speak a ‘wit’ of English.”

And a manager at Pat’s, Kathy Smith, said of Geno’s English-only policy: “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life. I’d rather listen to the Spanish than the foul language of the college students.”

© 2006 MSNBC Interactive

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13272368/

The city council is going to 'protest'...sigh...little bitty people with a little bit of 'power'....

Geno's business is lawful...butt out, city council...

I wish we had 200 million more Geno's...this guy has guts...

MJ

I've always been one to do what the bosses tell me to do. We citizens should comply. Then we could reasonably expect and demand that equal service be given to all world languages in an open borders country.

There is a list of the world's languages, called "Ethnologue" (Grimes 1996). There are 6,500 living languages listed. Of these, 6,000 have registered population figures. 52% of the 6,000 languages are spoken by less than 10,000 people, and 28% are spoken by less than 1,000 people. 83% of them are limited to single countries.

The ten largest languages in the world are the first languages for nearly half of the world's population.

Here is a list of the top 10 languages in February 1999 according to Ethnologue:

1. Mandarin 885 million speakers
2. Spanish 332 million speakers
3. English 322 million speakers
4. Bengali 189 million speakers
5. Hindi 182 million speakers
6. Portuguese 170 million speakers
6. Russian 170 million speakers
8. Japanese 125 million speakers
9. German 98 million speakers
10. Wu 77 million speakers

http://www.ling.gu.se/projekt/sprakf...i-varlden.html

That's the same info I got........seems we better bone up on Mandrin Chinese before Spanish.

PHILADELPHIA - City officials are expected to file a complaint Monday against an English-only ordering policy at Geno’s Steaks, one of Philadelphia’s best-known cheesesteak joints that has entered the national immigration debate.
Situated in a South Philadelphia immigrant neighborhood, Geno’s has posted small signs telling customers, “This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING ‘SPEAK ENGLISH.’”

“We’re alleging that the sign itself is enough of an unwelcoming message

THE SIGN SHOULD STAY! There is nothing OFFENSIVE about a sign asking that patrons speak english. Genos' is a privately owned business, it has nothing to do with any laws the city has, so why dont they just butt out!

t has nothing to do with any laws the city has, so why dont they just butt out!

B/c any part of government, from city council on up thinks they have the power to order citizens to do whatever they want...read 'force' there....doesn't seem to matter that Geno has constitutional rights...does it??

Geno's is hurting no one...it's his business...he should be left alone...

Government...just the word makes me 'red'...

MJ

The sign should stay.... if someone doesn't like it, they don't have to eat there. On the other hand, if you have a craving for his food, then I guess you'll have to order in English or bring an interpreter.