Re: PHILADELPHIA - Bistec con queso? Not at Geno's Steaks.

"Fartnozzle" <gotanygum@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1150123627.681388.309570@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I STRONGLY Disagree with Geno's stance.


Lets say I visit Paris France on my vacation this year.
Should it be expected i order all my food in FRENCH ?

i dont speak French
my advice.................switch to Pats or Tony Lukes

Since you don't speak French you likely lack the ability to translate the
French menu into English, anyway, so yes, you will order in French as you
read off the menu. No doubt your pronunciation will be bad but hey, you're
a foreigner. At least you'd be trying.
--
The Dread Pirate Roberts
"Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning."


Richard wrote:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13208549/

PHILADELPHIA - Bistec con queso? Not at Geno's Steaks.

An English-only ordering policy has thrust one of Philadelphia's
best-known cheesesteak joints into the national immigration debate.

Situated in a South Philadelphia immigrant neighborhood, 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."

Vento, 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.

Of course, it's not as if native Philadelphians speak the King's
English either. A Philadelphian might order a cheesesteak by saying
something like, "Yo, gimme a cheesesteak wit, will youse?"
("Wit," or "with," means with fried onions.) To which the
counterman might reply: "Youse want fries widdat?"

Mexicans settle in Philly
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.

But the policy has "really upset a lot of a people," said Brad
Baldia of Day Without An Immigrant, a coalition of immigrant groups.
"For some people, I think we're just going to say, 'Le gusta
Pat's."'

Juntos, a Hispanic neighborhood organization, said it plans to send
people to Geno's to try to order in Spanish and may pursue court
action, depending on what happens.

"His grandparents encountered the same racism and the same
xenophobia," said Peter Bloom, the group's director. "Why would
he begin that process over again?"

Customers seem unfazed
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.

Customers placing orders on a recent morning seemed unfazed.

Angelica Marquez, 22 and originally from Puerto Rico, ordered in
well-spoken English, but said some of her relatives struggle with the
language. "They always come and just say 'cheesesteak,"'
Marquez said, adding that the policy "bothers her some" but not
enough to keep her away.

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.

Not the real Philly attitude
Those who market the city, often using images of Geno's and other
famous steak shops, are watching with concern.

"I certainly wouldn't want a national audience to think it
represented all of the wonderful cheesesteak makers in the whole
city," said Meryl Levitz, president and chief executive of the
Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. "This isn't
representative of the Philadelphia attitude."

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."



.

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