An English-only ordering policy has thrust one of Philadelphia's best-known cheesesteak joints into America's national immigration debate.
Situated in a South Philadelphia immigrant neighbourhood, Geno's - which together with its chief rival, Pat's King of Steaks, forms the epicentre 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 Queen'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?"
2 comments:
well.....finally someone from philly has done something besides die that i approve of....( i hate philly and their fucking eagles football team)...
we need signs all over the place saying english only spoken here..instead of the signs we also speak spanish...fuckem
Everyone should speak English, I'm fed up of going to foreign places and having to shout til they understand me !
At least they are learning in Amsterdam, at Schippol airport EVERYTHING was in English , even the beer... good on the Dutch !
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