'Speak English' only signs - Page 2

MissLucie · 03-20-2008, 01:12 PM

Mr. Joe Vento can have his cake for now. In some years, a brazilian is going to buy him out and will make him march to the beat of their drum.

calimari · 03-20-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissLucie

Mr. Joe Vento can have his cake for now. In some years, a brazilian is going to buy him out and will make him march to the beat of their drum.

In all likelihood, it will be a chinese guy. They are starting to teach mandarin in the middle schools here. China is already getting stronger and stronger every week, and they are buying up more and more of the USA. Everyone's arguing about spanish without seeing the bigger picture - the future of China.

deemom · 03-20-2008, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChickyHip

I think, first, English should be made our official language. People have just as much right to speak Spanish as they do English.

.

However the person behind the counter shouldn't have to know Spanish to understand what someone is trying to order.

MissLucie · 03-20-2008, 01:52 PM

Brazil is taking the beef industry by storm too. Jbs friboi bought out the 3rd and 4th biggest beef processors here in the US making them a giant. People like this put ignorant barriers instead of looking at the bigger picture. Adapt to change to keep ahead. Change is inevitable.

chopey · 03-20-2008, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calimari

Well the other thing about it that bothers me is this: what about tourists? What about people who are just here on a work visa for a few months? I'd be up a creek without a paddle if I ran into that when I was travelling in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal or Morocco. And I'd still be pretty limited in Mexico or Spain. Very often people can understand a language but not speak it, or can read but not speak it. If they can point to the menu and then say "coke", that should be good enough. I've run into nothing but very helpful people when I tried to order off foreign menues.
Yes, if I moved to another country I would definately learn the language, but you don't learn it overnight. It generally takes YEARS. And the older you are when you come over, the harder it is to learn it.
And yes, it's his business, we have choices, but it is too reminiscient, for me, of signs along the lines of "we don't serve negroes". Will the next sign be "No wheelchairs because this is a small restaurant"?

whole heartedly.

freebiemom · 03-20-2008, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calimari

In all likelihood, it will be a chinese guy. They are starting to teach mandarin in the middle schools here. China is already getting stronger and stronger every week, and they are buying up more and more of the USA. Everyone's arguing about spanish without seeing the bigger picture - the future of China.

Yep. DH & I talk about this all the time. People need to pay more attention to what is going on in the whole US plus other countries and not just in their backyard. Which is important too but by focusing only there, your front door is open & inviting for a whole lot of trouble.

satsukirebel · 03-24-2008, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calimari

Well the other thing about it that bothers me is this: what about tourists? What about people who are just here on a work visa for a few months? I'd be up a creek without a paddle if I ran into that when I was travelling in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal or Morocco. And I'd still be pretty limited in Mexico or Spain. Very often people can understand a language but not speak it, or can read but not speak it. If they can point to the menu and then say "coke", that should be good enough. I've run into nothing but very helpful people when I tried to order off foreign menues.
Yes, if I moved to another country I would definately learn the language, but you don't learn it overnight. It generally takes YEARS. And the older you are when you come over, the harder it is to learn it.
And yes, it's his business, we have choices, but it is too reminiscient, for me, of signs along the lines of "we don't serve negroes". Will the next sign be "No wheelchairs because this is a small restaurant"?

too.

I think he went a little over the top with his sign. Does he really need to add the "this is america" bit? I think anyone who happens to be in this country already knows that. I doubt someone got so horribly lost that they missed getting to Canada/Mexico and somehow wandered into his shop instead.

I speak english just fine but this is one restaurant I would go out of my way to avoid.

hawkshoe · 03-24-2008, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by me and my three sons

I think what he did was AWESOME!!!!! hooray for his courage

I do too. He is making a stand for what he believes in. I happen to live in the area and know that there are many mexicans here and they seem to make no effort to speak english. He is just trying to say that if you want to live in America, you should learn the language.

For the record, he has never refused anyone service for not speaking Enlish.

crankymom · 03-24-2008, 09:37 AM

The sign has been up for 2.5 yrs, so by now you think customers would be used to it.

JKatherine · 03-25-2008, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calimari

Well the other thing about it that bothers me is this: what about tourists? What about people who are just here on a work visa for a few months? I'd be up a creek without a paddle if I ran into that when I was travelling in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal or Morocco. And I'd still be pretty limited in Mexico or Spain. Very often people can understand a language but not speak it, or can read but not speak it. If they can point to the menu and then say "coke", that should be good enough. I've run into nothing but very helpful people when I tried to order off foreign menues.
Yes, if I moved to another country I would definately learn the language, but you don't learn it overnight. It generally takes YEARS. And the older you are when you come over, the harder it is to learn it.
And yes, it's his business, we have choices, but it is too reminiscient, for me, of signs along the lines of "we don't serve negroes". Will the next sign be "No wheelchairs because this is a small restaurant"?

Yeah, but whatever happened to pocket dictionaries? I would never travel to another country (short OR long term) without knowing at least the bare minimum of their language AND posessing a (their language):english dictionary. When I was in the Dominican, they spoke Spanish (lucky me, I took 3 years of Spanish in school). I could read and ask for the basics and the rest I looked up in my PD. It's rude to travel somewhere and expect EVERYONE ELSE to cater to you and what language YOU know.

This was posted on another board I frequent. Here is my response there as well:

I don't think he should be rude about it, and he may lose business for doing so, but I think he's well within his rights to refuse service to anyone who will not order in English. I, too, am one of those people who believe that whatever country you go to, you should make an honest effort to learn and USE the language. I enjoyed learning Spanish in high school, but I took it in case I wanted to travel somewhere that it was the language, not so that I could speak to people within my own country who refused to learn our language.