Joseph Vento, whose grandparents came from Italy, insists that customers at Geno’s Steaks order in English. “Why should I have to bend?” he says.
Vento is also a huge supporter of the cause of Police Officer Danny Faulkner, who was murdered by Wesely Cook, AKA Mumia Abul Jamal. Many events and fund raisers have been helped by him and his establishment.
Eatery’s English-only sign raises irePHILADELPHIA (Reuters)
A sign in a landmark Philadelphia restaurant asking customers to order in English is sparking controversy in the metropolis known as the “City of Brotherly Love.”
The owner of Geno’s Steaks said on Thursday that the sign, “This is America — when ordering speak English,” is intended to encourage immigrants to learn the language and assimilate into U.S. society, but one Latino activist said it’s racist.
The controversy comes amid a national debate over immigration in the United States. The U.S. Senate passed an immigration bill last month that includes a provision which would make English the national language.
“They should be glad that I put the sign up. I’m trying to help them to speak English,” said Joey Vento, 66, whose grandparents moved to the United States from Italy. “Without the English language, they are going to have a lot of problems in this country.
“There is nobody who can say they are turned down because of the language,” he added. “They can point if they want to.”
The sign, which Vento posted at his cheese steak restaurant about six months ago and says he has no intention of removing, has made some people angry.
Roberto Santiago, executive director of Philadelphia’s Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations, said he was “appalled” by the policy.
“I think what’s coming out of his mouth is racist,” said Santiago. “He is saying, ‘I don’t like these brown faces in my community and I will do everything I can to get them out of there.'”
Santiago said he has urged Latinos to boycott Geno’s Steaks, a fixture in South Philadelphia’s Little Italy neighborhood which has seen an influx of Hispanic immigrants in recent years.
Vento denied that anyone would be refused service if they ordered one of the sliced beef-and-cheese sandwiches, a famed bit of cuisine in the Quaker-founded “City of Brotherly Love,” in a language other than English.
This made my day, I’m afraid the hounds are set on the poor guy now. Stop the ACLU!!!
Hi Jack,”hounds” is right, good name for them.
Chinga Roberto Santiago
If ever I get to Philadelphia, I’m going to eat only at Geno’s. I would think every loyal red blooded American in Philadelphia would support him 100%. But, then again, Pennsylvania is the land of Murtha and the RINO Specter.
Also, I’m sick of the “racist” thing Latino’s are claiming. Since when is being Hispanic or Latino a race? There are only three races of people genetically in the world; Asian, Caucasian, and Negro. If someone tells a Polish joke, are they being racist…heck no. I can’t stand these sensitive people and their labels.
In this country, all government documents must be made available in English, all major European languages (french, german, italian, spanish, dutch…), several minor european languages (turkish), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, some languages I have no idea about the origin of (Urdu, Benglai), and a few that I dont think can even be named in the latin character set. And somewhere, there is a law which requires the government makes any other language available on request – if I claimed to be a native Klingon speaker, all government organisations would be obliged to translate documents just for me.
The UK is an example of how *not* to handle immigration. We have bent over backwards to make them feel welcome, and they just form self-contained communities large enough that they can even raise children who dont speak a word of English. They even have their own schools. There is no intigration of assimilation there.
Suricou Raven….
“They even have their own schools. There is no intigration of assimilation there.”…
That is what happens, they get comfortable with their own instead of being citizens of a country. They become citizens of a country within a country. They get catered to by government and given special privileges and the list goes on and on.
I hope and pray the UK can turn it around and here too in the USA. This is not something to have apathy about, it is dangerous to the strength of a Nation. I am glad people want to come to this country to live, but they need to become Americans not hyphenated American’s which in my opinion is not a true American.
Suricou makes a point which probably has some rational underpinnings. That is, the kind of multicultural nullity evolving from the EU and its predecessors was a reaction to the calamities caused by intense nationalism…in countries we know about.
But the idea of tolerant mixed cultures issues from Western thinking about tolerance in general, and the possibility that differences can peacefully coexist. Therefore, Westerners seem to believe that the melting pot will melt even by incorporating cultures which have no intention of merging with the society at large.
Brillant Rhod, your right, they have no intention of merging their cultures.
I will always remember how hard I tried to speak the various languages of the countries I would be visiting. I was horrible at it, but I did so want to show respect to each country and at least try to say things in their language.
ENGLISH ONLY being put down days prior to FLAG DAY and a few weeks after MEMORIAL DAY: it goes to show what America has become due to OPEN BORDERS; especially groups called “LA RAZA!”
Over 40 years of ILLEGAL ALIENS who have been rewarded with citizenship via Amnesty l986; Citizenship USA’s 400 fraudulent testing centers and non-verification of millions orchestrated by Clinton-Gore-Reno; on top of auto-welfare citizenship just in time to birth across the USA borders against the l4th AMEND[(all now are here to further their NUMBERS for AZTLAN Takeover as former illegals helping illegals!)What an American slogan;]not to mention VISA overstays; H1B Visas for IT jobs instead of USA grads and their parents who are to do without employment on and on….
I thought my father fought again the race in WWII!
As for americannots, who are gutless not to stand up for what our ancestry lived and died for–sacrificed for this nation: you deserve what you get!
ILLEGALS and their organizations attack anyone–especially generational American Patriots who exemplify this nations foundation.
So much for AMNESTY = TREASON =OPEN BORDERS USA = World Colonias USA!
As for those without a conscience: no doubt your have learned NOTHING: and your sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers have not been systematically sacrificed prior and present in elites oil wars on foreign soil so we can be invaded by ILLEGALS or replaced by those for whom ours have died.
Is that why we nurtured our sons?
Whose nation is this?
What ever happened to “when in Rome do as the Romans do? To HELL with that: now it is come to America–and DEMAND and expect it all–or sue and take it: MECHA, LULAC, La RAZA.
Who stands for America and you?
No other nation would tolerate being told: YOU CANNOT DO THAT–YOU CANNOT EXPECT SOMEONE TO SPEAK ONLY YOUR LANGUAGE–or go by your nations’ laws–that is exactly what you are doing to GENO’s and telling the world we are doormats!
But then NO OTHER NATION has some of its own people who would defend or aid and abett ILLEGALS while they attack their own heritage.
Make a choice support the US & States CONSTITUTIONS or stand for sedition with the invaders who OPENLY and defiantly do so creating lawlessness.
YOU who attack, harass, and prosecute
P A T R I O T s–are laughted at by ILLEGALS and their non-profits who were illegals themselves have no pride or dignity.
COWARDS Y O U are …..in the GREAT USA GIVEAWAY…in the land of the most debtor nation who attacks it own!
Have you FORGOTTON….no you never cared…
ONE NATION UNDER GOD not World Colonias for the other 95% overpopulation to DEMAND special treatment that never existed when this great nation was created.
T R A I T O R S: your ignorance is astounding. I would rather be GENO’s as one out of a billion than others like you!
Do unto others–
Yes, there is a problem with Geno’s, immigration and racism. The problem is that his business is HIS business and he can do wherever he likes. If some immigrant can’t order his/her lunch in the way that is prescribed, I guess he/she doesn’t eat at Geno’s. I know there are other places in Philadelphia to eat. Some of the bleeding heart liberals just don’t get it. Kudos to Geno’s. He has a great deal of support out here. I have a post at my blog about this and other issues
Please feel free to stop by and read my perspective on this and other issues.
http://texastruth.blogspot.com