And I agree- it is a clever marketing technique to tap into the anti-immigrant thing we got going on in this country. If he is taking everyone's money- that shows me it is certainly a marketing ploy.

But I noticed something in the posts- and you can read my early posts as well- as long as this was consistant to all languages- okay- odd, but, well, his business.

Then DP comes along, and starts railing about illegal immigrants- and used this as a justification- and was quite clear that it was illegals south of the border (unless I am wrong, DP can clarify- does Cali have a very large problem with illegals from anywhere on any scale other than those south of the border )

If it comes from some animus aimed at illegal immigrants south of the border- than ya, it is racist.

If it comes from some, I believe, misplaced patriotism- whatever - probably not racism.

But posters here have actually convinced me that it is a marketing ploy based on anger towards illegal immigrants- because THEY keep refering to this.

I am not cool with illegal immigration- totally cool with the legal type. How is one supposed to know though? "Let me see Zee papers"?

I think, overall, since it has gained national attention, it is just a callous, but calculated, marketing technique tapping into the ill feelings directed at illegal immigrants.

The evidence is even stronger in this area if they haven't actually denied anyone service.

Still, in my part of the country, I have never been able to see the strength in the xenophobic mono-linguistic pride Americans seem to have in our ignorance of not being able to speak more than one language.

I personally feel some shame at my ignorance of only knowing one and a half languages.

How about if it’s aimed at illegal immigrants from any country? Are you “cool” with that? Or is it racist? IMO there can be nothing “racist” about that.

Clearly if it is your business you can request English only

Let's walk through the possibilities:

1. I can't read German and I can't intuit what the sign means (or intuit the sign's meaning incorrectly). Thus, the sign is either completely meaningless to me or I read a different meaning into it.
1a. I can speak enough German to make my order
--> German shopkeeper is happy.
1b. I don't speak German.
--> German shopkeeper is unhappy because I don't speak German. He points to the sign. I don't understand the sign. I assume he can't understand me because I don't speak German. What do I do? Hmm... maybe, try to speak German? Ask the shopkeeper if he speaks my language? Ask someone else for help? Or, last resort, leave.
1c. I willfully don't order in German even though I can speak it.
--> How does the shopkeeper know this? Maybe, he's seen other Americans come into the shop who choose not to speak German and concludes the same about me. Not sure. Anyway, the German shopkeeper is unhappy... (like 1b).

2. I can't read German but I can intuit what the sign means. Perhaps, the sign has some sort of diagram or nationalist symbols I could use to infer the sign's meaning.
2a. I can speak enough German to make my order
--> German shopkeeper is happy.
2b. I don't speak German
--> German shopkeeper is unhappy because I don't speak German. He points to the sign. I infer from the sign that he wants me to speak German. But, I don't speak German. What do I do? Hmm... maybe, try to speak German? Ask someone for help? Or, last resort, leave.
2c. I willful don't order in German even though I can speak it.
--> How does the shopkeeper know this? Like (1c).

3. I can read German.
3a. I can speak enough German to make my order
--> German shopkeeper is happy
3b. I don't speak German
--> This is an extremely unlikely case. I'd be able to speak enough German to order if I can read it. Probably, I'd have some sort of medical condition like a stroke... Call the doctor.
3c. I willfully don't order in German even though I can speak it.
--> How does the shopkeeper know this? Perhaps, I've given it away somehow. Maybe I'm Borat? Anyway, it's like (2c).

Conclusion:
The outcome of any of these cases will be the same for the shopkeeper no matter my capabilities in the language. The only difference is whether or not I can understand the sign. If I can understand the sign, how does it help? I'll either feel like an idiot for not being able to speak the language OR I will be insulted for it telling me something I already know.


Why would I assume this? Does the sign say: "Ignore me if you can read this!"


I also know people who know people that assume problems don't exist because they haven't seen them up close and thus these people assume others also think like this. It seems to happen on debate threads (like this one).


I see what you're saying here. You're saying the the "Speak English!" sign is equivalent to the "No shoes, no service!" sign. Ohhh... That's the disconnect. They are different to me. I see the "Speak English!" sign as a statement of policy as well as a political statement. It's the political statement which is problematic. I have no trouble with the policy statement in and of itself though, as enumerated above, it's mostly useless at conveying its message to the intended audience.

Hmm, I just heard my first case of a first person account of a backlash in foriegn countries about this issue. I had a friend that has visited Cancun and drove up and down the Mexican coast for the last couple weeks. Seems people are starting to turn the tables on "ugly American tourists"- saying things like "if you come to our country, at least you could learn to speak the language" and cases of people harrasing American tourists for not speaking spanish. Wierd- makes no sense to me on either direction.

I have personaly seen American tourists become upset with European establishments when the European proprieters don't speak english. It seems that we American's tend to believe we should have it both ways.

TEd- it is racist because you assume that anyone south of the border is illegal, simply because they speak spanish instead of English.

I think Logo has nailed this one head on- in his example of the tourist in this establishment, and highlights one thing to me- it is a clever marketing techinique to appeal to the racist underbelly of the US- by refusing those that don't speak english- they are announcing thier xenophobia against those that fit some stereotype (obviuosly brown people that don't speak english are here to take your jobs and such ) and it has played out well for this business.

It is a political statement that is being used as a clever marketing strategy. I seriously doubt that they have had any real problem with non-english speakers crowding out the english speaking customers for Philly Cheesesteaks.