Culture clash: New York shop owners could be forced to translate signs into English Read more: http

[Via Garibaldi 8]

English is the dominat language here, but in a lot of those neighborhoods, the dominant language might be something else. If you go to an area like Bushwick, Sunset Park, or Washington Heights, you'll see some signs in Spanish because that is what a lot of the people in the neighborhood speak. In Brighton Beach, there are a decent number of signs in Russian because there are a lot of Russians there.

 

If I remember correctly, you did say that people should learn English when coming here, but if they are able to manage without learning English by living in a neighborhood with people of their culture then good for them.

 

Feel free to disagree, but I think it should be up to the business to decide which language its signs are in. If, for one reason or another the business decides that it doesn't want to post signs in English, they are running the risk of losing those that don't speak the language the signs are in, and the money they would've spent there.

 

Yeah, good for them, but overall it is a disadvantage. They are shutting themselves out from knowing other people and other cultures and enriching their experience here in the U.S., not to mention possible job opportunities. A professor of mine always said that monolingual speakers are falling behind. I can certainly attest to that. I earn more than more than many of my peers because I speak three languages, with some knowledge of two others, not to mention all of the friends that I've met as a result of knowing the languages that I do and the places I've been able to go to with ease. However, this is about safety more than about doing business. As SubwayGuy mentioned, if there is a fire or an emergency and the fire fighters don't know where to go because they can't read the sign, people can die or the business can simply be burned down to nothing and all would then be lost. I'm not sure if a sign is worth that. Aside from that, it is simply a way to exclude others from coming in, even if it isn't meant as such. Clearly someone who doesn't speak the language is less likely to come in especially if they don't know what the business does. Language can and does serve as a barrier in many ways.

[SubwayGuy]

English is the dominat language here, but in a lot of those neighborhoods, the dominant language might be something else. If you go to an area like Bushwick, Sunset Park, or Washington Heights, you'll see some signs in Spanish because that is what a lot of the people in the neighborhood speak. In Brighton Beach, there are a decent number of signs in Russian because there are a lot of Russians there.

 

If I remember correctly, you did say that people should learn English when coming here, but if they are able to manage without learning English by living in a neighborhood with people of their culture then good for them.

 

Feel free to disagree, but I think it should be up to the business to decide which language its signs are in. If, for one reason or another the business decides that it doesn't want to post signs in English, they are running the risk of losing those that don't speak the language the signs are in, and the money they would've spent there.

 

And what happens when there's an incident in which law enforcement or paramedics must be summoned to that store for some reason and the caller is an English speaker who cannot give an address or a store name to the person on the other end of the line?

 

When does the pandering to special interests and political correctness end, and common sense begin???

[B35 via Church]

Language is definitely a barrier... this lady over in paterson the other day was askin me a question about a certain route, and I tried to speak in my broken a** spanish to attempt to help out.... the ones that speak mad fast, I can't understand... the ones that speak a little slower, I can get.... she was one of the fast speaking ones (with an attitude, to boot)... I basically gave the "no habla espanol" defense (although I got the gist of what she was asking), shoo-ed her away from me, and went on about my binness.....

 

 

 

In Brighton Beach, there are a decent number of signs in Russian because there are a lot of Russians there.

 

.....and those Arab's are slowly tryna take over Brighton Beach; I think it's funny really.... Just take a walk along Neptune b/w Ocean Pkwy & Coney Island av... Who do you think is responsible for those bldg renovations in that neighborhood....

 

far as your point goes.... well, a business owner can do what they want, when it comes to advertising/naming their business.... But I also agree w/ via in that, if they're gonna choose to cater to solely their kind (back to the arabs, who are the most notorious for that... Iselin, NJ is a good example of this), do put themselves at a disadvantage....

 

The American dollar in the hands of an Arab, is the same as the American dollar in the hands of a Mexican, a Jewish person, a Russian, an Italian, a Chinese person, etc etc... But good luck gettin most groups to heed such a statement.... I understand the whole idea behind keeping "the dollar" within your established community... If you're comin into a foreign country (which is what the US is to them) with business plans in place, your #1 trust will always be w/ your fellow countrymen....

 

Again, my thing is, it's too late for bothering to being bothered about having business owners translating their signs to appease or lure in more people... People coming from countries who are set in their ways, w/ certain indoctrinated beliefs about certain nationalities of people... and I'm goin to expect these people to be open to change... GTFOH.... lol....

 

Rome wasn't built in a day, and a sucker is born every minute....

 

 

....and why is the word J3w banned ?

[SubwayGuy]

Assimilation is the point of immigrating to a country. Living the way you did in the old country and ignoring the customs, traditions, and language of the new country is disrespectful to whatever culture you are visiting, let alone living in. Tourists can get a pass on this, but if you're going to live some where new you'd better be prepared to adapt your way of life to be compatible in your new country rather than demanding your new country accept your old way of life.

 

If you don't like it, go back to your old country. They're still living the lifestyle there that these people want to live here. In reality many of them just want to suck some of the quality of life out of America and use it to enrich themselves without changing. Well that's not the way the game is played. You have to take the bad with the good. America has a culture, no one is proud of it (which is pathetic) because we are too busy pandering to political correctness and not "offending" these other cultures who don't seem to care that they offend US AMERICANS when they refuse to change and s*** all over American culture.

[B35 via Church]

I'll elaborate on that, in regards to my race & creed of people....

 

You don't know how many times I've said statements of the sort, livin in this neighborhood for the past 29 years....

 

"If (insert west indian country here) is so *expletive*-in great, go the *expletive* back to where you came from"....

 

You get the ones that are notorious for overpraising/overglorifying their homeland when they're here, but wouldn't step foot back in their homeland to save their *expletive* lives, except when they've obtained enough of a certain something (which I'll get to in a minute).... and yes, this agitates the hell out of me....

 

Quick to spew what's wrong w/ America... but I walk along Church av, notice females either draped in white or burgundy, and notice they're west indian females takin all the nursing related jobs over in KCH... then you have the west indian folks that look at you like you're a goddamned fool when you step into their restaurant when you don't speak w/ an accent.... Those are the ones I wanna take & handcuff in a conga line & ship them back to their countries, with not a pot to piss in or a schilling emanating from their ***holes.... the same state they came here with, seekin the almighty american dollar, lookin to siphon us dry via western yoouunniooonnn & live like kings & queens when their "quest" has been fulfilled....

 

Only reason they've (pseudo) assimilated in predominantly black neighborhoods is b/c black americans own NOTHING... I'll put that isht in 1000 point font if I have to.

[Grand Concourse]

.....and those Arab's are slowly tryna take over Brighton Beach; I think it's funny really.... Just take a walk along Neptune b/w Ocean Pkwy & Coney Island av... Who do you think is responsible for those bldg renovations in that neighborhood....

 

far as your point goes.... well, a business owner can do what they want, when it comes to advertising/naming their business.... But I also agree w/ via in that, if they're gonna choose to cater to solely their kind (back to the arabs, who are the most notorious for that... Iselin, NJ is a good example of this), do put themselves at a disadvantage....

 

The American dollar in the hands of an Arab, is the same as the American dollar in the hands of a Mexican, a Jewish person, a Russian, an Italian, a Chinese person, etc etc... But good luck gettin most groups to heed such a statement.... I understand the whole idea behind keeping "the dollar" within your established community... If you're comin into a foreign country (which is what the US is to them) with business plans in place, your #1 trust will always be w/ your fellow countrymen....

 

Again, my thing is, it's too late for bothering to being bothered about having business owners translating their signs to appease or lure in more people... People coming from countries who are set in their ways, w/ certain indoctrinated beliefs about certain nationalities of people... and I'm goin to expect these people to be open to change... GTFOH.... lol....

 

Rome wasn't built in a day, and a sucker is born every minute....

 

 

....and why is the word J3w banned ?

Funny you should say that. Lately I've been seeing more and more muslim women [the full head to foot covering dress, sans taliban face covering/beehive mask]. I know it isn't like the same few women because one was older another was pretty young and some wide and some slim.

I just don't get why they still have such 'outfits'. Sure i can understand the head coverings, but the whole body? You are in America, wear jeans or whatever. Don't like it then go back to the Mid East.

 

end of rant.

[B35 via Church]

Funny you should say that. Lately I've been seeing more and more muslim women [the full head to foot covering dress, sans taliban face covering/beehive mask]. I know it isn't like the same few women because one was older another was pretty young and some wide and some slim.

I just don't get why they still have such 'outfits'. Sure i can understand the head coverings, but the whole body? You are in America, wear jeans or whatever. Don't like it then go back to the Mid East.

 

end of rant.

don't sleep on them arab women, they be havin some tight bodies under all that drapery...

 

arab women will never be fully liberated; let their husbands see them publicly walkin around anything outside that attire they wear... those women will lose their lives quick; that's how serious that is.... it's seen as abandoning their tradition..... they don't play that mess....

 

I don't have a problem with people wearing what they would, as if they were in their home country.... it's the holier than thou attitude, meshed with this hatred of America they exude....

 

I mean that's like you have a child by a certain woman.... y'all live together, somewhere along the line y'all break up (again)... she finds another dude, and that dude feel obligated to come tryna run shit in your crib b/c she also live there....

 

^^ It's a getto man dream, a getto man storrraaayyyy....

I forgot the name of the dancehall artist I stole that lyric from... ah well...

[Grand Concourse]

Sadly true...

totally agreed.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

For anyone interested, MSNBC is showing a two hour show from 20:00 - 22:00 on China and their manufacturing of goods for the U.S. It is called "The China Question".