"Please speak English" sign captures attention."This is America," says the sign at the Geno's cheesesteak The cheesesteak, known outside the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area as the Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, or steak and cheese is a sandwich principally of thinly sliced pieces of steak and melted cheese on a long roll. joint in South Philadelphia South Philadelphia, nicknamed "South Philly," is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west. South Philadelphia is coterminous with the zip codes 19145, 19146, 19147, and 19148. , the neighborhood featured in the Rocky movies. "When Ordering Please Speak English" In ordinary times such a sign would probably not even be noticed. But with the immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. debate raging, these are not ordinary times, and the sign has caught the attention of the major media, well-wishers, and even the PC police. When Tim NEW AMERICAN visited Geno's recently, we found numerous camera crews and reporters, including a crew from CNN CNN or Cable News Network Subsidiary company of Turner Broadcasting Systems. It was created by Ted Turner in 1980 to present 24-hour live news broadcasts, using satellites to transmit reports from news bureaus around the world. . A long line of people--black, white, and Hispanic--waited to order. People driving by beeped their horns, gave thumbs up, and shouted words of encouragement. But the PC police see it differently. The Philadelphia Commission on Human Rights has filed a complaint that the sign is discriminatory. Never mind that Geno's helps immigrant customers order in English and has not turned anyone away because of a language barrier, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Geno's owner Joseph Vento. "All we're asking them to do is learn the English language," Vento told AP. "We're out to help these people, but they've got to help themselves, too." |
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