English only at Philly cheesesteak joint

[JordanD]

um, no, in the US, English is the official languague, so he has every right to put signs up promoting the english languague.


btw, where has Wannabepilot777 been lately? I've missed his senseless rants!

The United States has no official language as a whole. I beleive SOME states do but not the entire country altogether. I just think this cheesteak guy is being a dick about it.

[Chris@YYZ]

From what I heard last, he went down to the US-Mexico border to "Take care of things himself". Apperantly, a Texas rancher who was very moved by our friends little rant noticed someone walking around the border, and decided to follow Andy's advice. No one has seen him since.

awesome

[Foxtrot]

Re:

The United States has no official language as a whole. I beleive SOME states do but not the entire country altogether. I just think this cheesteak guy is being a dick about it.

Oh really? So how exactly are the employees there supposed to take orders when people start speaking in Spanish or a language other than English? Besides, if you think the guy is being a dick like you said, you probably missed the fact that the place actually helps its customers to place orders in English.

You know, I'm all for immigrants speaking in their native languages (I speak my own language, but only at home, not outside), but I also know that English has become a common language and you better know it (at least enough to communicate) if you want to live in this country.

Foxtrot

[Top_Gun]

but I also know that English has become a common language and you better know it (at least enough to communicate) if you want to live in this country.

Foxtrot

this is the bottom line to me, if I moved to France to Spain and didn't want to learn their languages I'd be lost. I don't think it's asking much to have them learn the language of the country they are trying to make their new home.....

Unless they all want to move to Southern Fla

[a78jumper]

Why the h*ll would anyone order in other than English in a place like that????
Maybe in a fancy french restaurant you might like to try your french, or perhaps in a Mexican one spanish, or here in TO in a Chinese run one, Mandarin or Cantonese, but a Philly cheese steak place? Gimme a break. I am not sure I would put up a sign, however anyone who tried to order in whatever would be politely but firmly told, "Please speak the language of the USA, I do not understand yours at all." I can just imagine ordering a plate of poutine "en francais" at some greasy little spoon in redneck rural Alberta!!! You'd be run outta town.

[gdg9]

Yahoo News

Geno's — which together with its chief rival, Pat's King of Steaks, forms the epicenter of an area described as "ground zero for cheesesteaks" — has posted small signs telling customers, "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING `SPEAK ENGLISH.'"

"They don't know how lucky they are. All we're asking them to do is learn the English language," said Geno's owner Joseph Vento, 66. "We're out to help these people, but they've got to help themselves, too."

Good stuff!

[N776AU]

Good for him and his food joint. He's right this is America. The same should apply if we go somewhere else, either hire an interpreter or take a crash course in the local language.

[bobby]

Anyone seen the commercial for Bob Corker who is running for US Senate?

I like his way of thinking... "No amnesty, those that want to become citizens of this country, must learn to speak the English language."

Being a native Californian...I can relate. It's just become infested with illegal immigrants and the gov. is just now doing something about it? they should have started a long time ago.

Think about it, would any other country besides the US cater to foreign citizens like we do...doubt it.

[Greg Wilson]

Think about it, would any other country besides the US cater to foreign citizens like we do...doubt it.

Australia

[indian airlines]

All you people woohooing this cheesesteak guy for "laying down the law", next time you're in France (although if you like cheeseteak guy's way of thinking I'm sure you're the type of person who thinks of France as anti-freedom land and would rather die than go there) don't complain that French people are rude for not answering you when you talk to them in English even though they probably speak it.

The Bush government chooses the most trivial issues to quibble over, completely ignoring bigger and more important things at hand. I know for a fact I'm not alone in saying I'll be glad to see him go. He has utterly bungled his wasted 8 years as president.

Before anybody jumps down my throat for being soft on the issue of illegal immigrants, keep in mind I never said I support illegal immigration...infact I am 98% against it.

[Crunk415balla]

Tanuj, while I'm not sure if I completely agree with this guy, I'm pretty sure the supporters are saying people who LIVE here should know English. If you're on vacation or something thats different. I'm sure people travel the globe without knowing the country's language, but living in a country and not knowing the language is another story.

[Greg Wilson]

Now Bush gets the blame for business decisions made by a couple of fast food outlets.
And being a citizen is far removed from being a tourist.

[Airbus_A320]

Pretty much all the immigrants that came to the United States at least made an effort to learn English, as well as speaking their native language. But the problem is now with a bunch of people who are here illegally, but believe that they should be allowed to stay here, be given citizenship, but not learn to speak the language of the country (official or not) if they don't want to and have everything done for them in Spanish. Thats BS.

And yes, being a tourist is different from being a resident of a country. If a tourist has trouble with the language is one thing. But to want to live in a country and not want to speak it's language, thats crap, and I think that the US is one of the very few countries that even puts up with this, most would probably tell people who have the attitude "I want to live here, but not speak your language" where to go.

Something should have been done about illegal immigration a long time ago, and the U.S. shouldn't have accomodated Spanish speakers with all this press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish stuff. They should have come here, and been forced (by necesity) to learn the language, like everyone else that came here before. And it's also not fair to immigrants from countries that aren't Spanish, they still have to learn English if they want to be able to function here.

If you are going to live in a country, you should learn the language the people there speak, if you don't want to speak it, go home.

Anyways it seems that the Mexicans are pretty much alone on this one. Other immigrants that came here had to learn Engish if they planned to make it, and they did, things weren't done out for them. Why should special considerations be made for Hispanics? And taking to the streets of LA and Phoenix and waving Mexican flags isn't going to bring anybody over to their side.

[indian airlines]

Now Bush gets the blame for business decisions made by a couple of fast food outlets.

No - don't put words in my mouth. Bush gets the blame for starting this whole uproar about immigration and fussing about trivial issues such as people speaking spanish, singing the national anthem in spanish and other such tripe instead of focusing on the bigger and more important issues at hand.

You guys are saying living in a country as a citizen is different from living there as a tourist...sure, but listen to this now. I lived in Hong Kong...the majority of foreigners living in Hong Kong don't speak Chinese and I've never seen them denied their daily dimsum when they order it in English. It's the same in Japan, India, and many other countries across the world. I understand it's a problem if the person you're talking to doesn't speak the language you're trying to speak, but if he does, then I don't see why there should be a problem.

The "if you're gonna live in my country, you better speak my language" mentality is highly xenophobic, snobby and borderline rude. If a person chooses not to learn the language of the country he is living in, so be it. He might run into problems, sure, but they will be of his own doing (or lack thereof), and he surely should not expect people to bend over to accomodate his language. It should not be shoved down his throat though.

Also, now specifically about Spanish in America, I'm definitely against bending backwards to have everything double written in Spanish. People should not expect to have everything done for them in Spanish (if it is being done though, as it is right now, I don't see why it should be removed). However, people who do understand Spanish should NOT force a hispanic person to speak in English just to prove they are standing on some made up moral high ground.

All that being said, I think it's wonderful for people to learn to speak the language of the country they are living in. They should not be penalized (legally or socially) for not doing so however.

Anyways it seems that the Mexicans are pretty much alone on this one. Pretty much all the immigrants that came to the United States at least made an effort to learn English, as well as speaking their native language. Other immigrants that came here had to learn Engish if they planned to make it, and they did, things weren't done out for them.

Right and wrong. You're using the word "immigrant" very loosely. Most people that come to the US legally come here because their job brings them here on a transfer. They come here to study at universities, or they come here looking for jobs. 99% of people in this category came to the US speaking fairly good English, and therefore didn't really have to learn it specially to come here. Case in point...me. I'm not an immigrant first of all - I came here as an expatriate, and I spoke damn good English (even if I say so myself) before I ever even left India.

The problem arises when illegal immigrants who don't speak English cross the border. In this case, most illegal immigrants are either Mexican or Cuban, hence spanish is the language of choice. So it isn't just that hispanic people didn't do what all other "immigrants" did...it's just that all other "immigrants" didn't come to the US in the situation many hispanic people came in.

This whole mess can be prevented by taking a hard line on illegal immigration. The term itself implies something illegal is being done...why is it tolerated then? Amnesty only goes so far...after that it is just plain illegal and should be tackled forcefully.

Think about it, would any other country besides the US cater to foreign citizens like we do...doubt it.

Think about it, does any other country besides the US rely on foreign citizens like we do...doubt that too.


I'm going to summarize almost everything I just said with responses to these three quotes below:

But the problem is now with a bunch of people who are here illegally, but believe that they should be allowed to stay here

You're right, in most cases they should not be allowed to stay here.

be given citizenship, but not learn to speak the language of the country (official or not) if they don't want to

They shouldn't be forced to learn the language if they don't want to (like I said, they might run into difficulties but it will be of their own doing).

and have everything done for them in Spanish.

That definitely should not happen.

EDIT: Btw, I never heard cheesesteak guy specify that tourists are exempt from his law. It might have been a different thing if his sign said "This is America: When ordering, please speak English. Tourists and other non-nationals exempt. Please present passports at time of order." This whole sign thing of his is nothing but a publicity gaining feigned attempt at some sort of "patriotism".

He's making a very broad reaching faux pas, and I'm pretty sure Pat's King of Steaks will very much benefit from it.

[Foxtrot]

Re:

The Bush government chooses the most trivial issues to quibble over, completely ignoring bigger and more important things at hand. I know for a fact I'm not alone in saying I'll be glad to see him go. He has utterly bungled his wasted 8 years as president.

And what may I ask has any of this to do with Bush? We're talking about a guy who put a sign up in his own shop, at his own will, the President didn't tell him to do anything. And if you read what the sign says, you would understand that he's asking customers to speak in Enlgish when ordering, not otherwise. If I start speaking in Chinese when I'm ordering at most restaurants in a dominantly English-speaking country, I'm pretty sure I won't get served (unless the staff happens to be fluent in Chinese).

No - don't put words in my mouth. Bush gets the blame for starting this whole uproar about immigration and fussing about trivial issues such as people speaking spanish, singing the national anthem in spanish and other such tripe instead of focusing on the bigger and more important issues at hand.

Wow, I don't know where you heard/read this one. Bush actually has had just the exact opposite stance, he even said himself that you can't just send a million+ immigrants back, he's been more supportive of the immigrants than most other people. And this is by no means a trivial matter.

Foxtrot