| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| Philadelphia "English-only" eatery faces probe |
| 2006-06-13 |
| A civil rights watchdog agency opened an investigation on Monday into a Philadelphia cheese steak restaurant that posted a sign saying "This is America - when ordering, speak English." The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations complaint effectively opens a case against Geno's Steaks of South Philadelphia, said Rachel Lawton, acting executive director of the agency. The Philadelphia controversy has fed a national debate over immigration in which the U.S. Senate passed a bill that would declare English the national language and politicians have raised objections to a Spanish version of the national anthem. The sign may violate the city's Fair Practices Ordinance, which bans businesses from discriminating on the basis of nationality or ethnicity, Lawton said. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #11 In 1980, I was in Montreal for a math conference. The big story that summer was about a deli whose owners had just received a large fine because its Hebrew kosher sign was too large in comparison to its French sign. I wonder if things have gotten worse in the last 26 years. |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2006-06-13 23:02 |
| #10 One should try going to a (non-Montreal) restaurant in Quebec. |
| Posted by: Fordesque 2006-06-13 22:21 |
| #9 Yeah, now that you mention it, I've been to restaurants in Mexico where nobody working there spoke English, and I got fed too. Not exactly what I wanted, but close enough. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-06-13 20:37 |
| #8 I've been to chinese resturants in the US where nobody working there speaks English. What's the problem? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-06-13 20:21 |
| #7 #6 - I'd rather he changed the sign to "MYODB, Tranzi assholes." |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-06-13 17:36 |
| #6 Change the sign to "English spoken here." |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2006-06-13 13:35 |
| #5 How can an English only sign be a crime? Sounds like a Court fight to me. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-06-13 10:58 |
| #4 Give the bastards hell, Joey. "If they don't like it, tough shit" is a good attitude in this case. |
| Posted by: mojo 2006-06-13 10:14 |
| #3 No law of any kind was broken. This was protected speech. There's also no evidence that they refused service to non-english speaking people. In fact, news reports and staff indicated that they would go out of their way to help non-english speakers to order the food they wanted. Te owner was trying to make a political statement, albeit rather coarsely. Just another example of 'freedom of speech' only applying to liberals. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-06-13 08:55 |
| #2 So does this mean I have to do business in any world language that any potential client chooses? Do I have to start answering e-mail inquiries and requests for quotations that are in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, etc. I'm already pissed that my bank's ATM always asks "English or Spanish?" The "Free Checking" banner outside the bank does not have Spanish subtitles, and what about a Swahili-speaker that wants to withdraw $20? The whole thing is absurd. Vento should respond to the request in Swahili. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-06-13 08:36 |
| #1 Sorry if there is no actual discrimination tuff titty. I would write a check for 300 and tell them were to stuff it. 300 bucks off your taxes for the "cost of doing business" |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2006-06-13 06:59 |