RACK Geno....

[ChargerMike]

...for doing what most of us wish we could do!

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/artic ... 0000000001

English Only at One Philly Cheesesteak Joint
By PATRICK WALTERS, AP

PHILADELPHIA (June 9) - 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.


They don't know how lucky they are. All we're asking them to do is learn the English language''
-- Geno's owner Joseph Vento



Source: AP


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?"

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?"

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.

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."

[Y2K]

I hate to break the news to ole Pat Walters at AP.

There be a LOT of us business guys that do the English only because we don't know what the fuck them ferners be sayin. memo to Cheesesteak man.

Gimme my sammich bitch and shut the fuck up.

[jiminphilly]

Unfortunately, Geno's steaks are nothing but rubber these says. Pat's across the street are better and neither compares to Jim's Steaks on South St.

But Rack him for making a stand considering that demographic of that area is changing to more hispanic families.

[mothster]

glad this isn't about geno tarreta

[Mr T]

Whats going on in here

Sin,

[Degenerate]

Unfortunately, Geno's steaks are nothing but rubber these says. Pat's across the street are better and neither compares to Jim's Steaks on South St.

Rack the fuck out of that. I'll go an hour out of my way on trips to AC for Jim's.

Jim's, Pat's, then there's a long drop-off to a tie between Geno's and any random snack cart on Market St.

[Wolfman]

wager ???
that sign will be gone before the end of the
year--- ACLU is on the case ???

what a country !!

[Y2K]

wager ???
that sign will be gone before the end of the
year--- ACLU is on the case ???

what a country !!

Yeah.......

What a country......
Some extremely sharp Sammach man posts a sign which in essence "doesn't mean Jack Shit" to anyone other than the basic paranoid quivering weasel or gullible "newspeople" and gets coast to coast free advertising and actually gets total Scoreboard. Rack the fuck outta the dude working an angle on dumbfucks who aren't smart enough to "not go there" and dragging the mouthbreather "gung ho" crowd into his shit Steak and Cheesewhiz Paradise.....

Classic.

[ChargerMike]

Unfortunately, Geno's steaks are nothing but rubber these says. Pat's across the street are better and neither compares to Jim's Steaks on South St.

But Rack him for making a stand considering that demographic of that area is changing to more hispanic families.

....maybe Geno SHOULD let the no spekka da englis crowd in!

[Wolfman]

dude was on TV this morning defending
his signage---
he could just have well been a guy from the
North Side of Syracuse like some of my old high
school buddies--Italian in the home but
English everyplace else !!