Metro Atlanta Publix to have signs in Spanish. Debate... (Norcross: daycares, attorney)

[atlantamoi]

People who have issues with Spanish should avoid buying cereal at Big Lots!

[johnishere]

Just to add another spice to this mix:

Here in Detroit area, we have the largest foreign concentration of Arabic/Middle Easterners outside of the Middle East. It's not all over town, it's more like an "Arabic Town" (same as China Town) - most of them live and work in a concentrated area in the south edge of Detroit and spilling over into Dearborn, another city that borders Detroit. [Though, since many years ago now, most, and it's a strong "most", of the neighborhood corner stores are owned/run by Arab-Americans.]

If you drive down a certain section of W. Warren, you would think you crossed the Twilight Zone - nearly all of the storefront signage is in Arabic. At least it WAS. Local city council debated the issue of whether to mandate storefront signage to be both languages.

Due to such a prevalence of Arabic students in the schools in that area, a county regional report was also done and concluded with the recommendation that Arabic be discouraged from being spoken in schools "unless necessary"... link to news article

Lastly, in 2008 Walmart opened what many refer to as a Muslim Walmart (http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2008/03/muslim-walmart-opens-in-dearborn-michigan/ - broken link). It very much caters to it's Arabic consumer base, but ALSO includes signs in Spanish (and English).

It's a spicy world we live in.

[GAmomof2]

For me personally, I believe the US is a melting pot.. and I'm ok with signs in addition to English. BUT, if a business ONLY has foreign signs, I take it as they dont want my buisness and I go somewhere else.

[rackensack]

Having spent a ton of time in Montreal over the last couple of years, I think the assumption that having bilingual signage discourages language learning is false -- rather the opposite. I studied French in college, but never came close to being able to conduct a conversation or anything like it. However, the bilingual signage in Montreal was quite helpful to me in improving my ability to conduct day-to-day business in French. I do think governmental mandates for bilingual signage are wrong (and acknowledge that that's the reason for the prevalence of them in Quebec) but I see no reason why a private enterprise should be discouraged from doing things that they believe will increase their ability to serve their customer base.

[gt6974a]

Originally Posted by johnishere

Just to add another spice to this mix:

Here in Detroit area, we have the largest foreign concentration of Arabic/Middle Easterners outside of the Middle East. It's not all over town, it's more like an "Arabic Town" (same as China Town) - most of them live and work in a concentrated area in the south edge of Detroit and spilling over into Dearborn, another city that borders Detroit. [Though, since many years ago now, most, and it's a strong "most", of the neighborhood corner stores are owned/run by Arab-Americans.]

If you drive down a certain section of W. Warren, you would think you crossed the Twilight Zone - nearly all of the storefront signage is in Arabic. At least it WAS. Local city council debated the issue of whether to mandate storefront signage to be both languages.

Due to such a prevalence of Arabic students in the schools in that area, a county regional report was also done and concluded with the recommendation that Arabic be discouraged from being spoken in schools "unless necessary"... link to news article

Lastly, in 2008 Walmart opened what many refer to as a Muslim Walmart (http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2008/03/muslim-walmart-opens-in-dearborn-michigan/ - broken link). It very much caters to it's Arabic consumer base, but ALSO includes signs in Spanish (and English).

It's a spicy world we live in.

I heard y'all also have foot baths at the airports. Might as well go ahead and put a bunch of 'Virgin Mary' statues in there as well.

[That_guy]

Originally Posted by billl

What's to argue? Lowes and Home Depot have been doing this for years. Despite what some people want to believe the US does not have an official language. Last time I checked neither does the state of Georgia. We are a nation of immigrants.

Truth be told, the signs in the grocery stores really should look like ᎦᏚ ("ga du") and ᎤᏅᏗ ("u nv di") instead of bread and milk. Why should the true natives of the Atlanta area have to cater to English-speaking foreigners?

Bill

Well said.

[johnishere]

Just to play devil's advocate:

To those who say US does not have an 'official' language - Just because I write down on a piece of paper that I am 6' 4", does not make it so. Just because someone in Washington writes down on a piece of paper that "English is now the official US language", or fails to do so, does not change the statistical reality of how many people use English as the normal conducting business language in this country - it would only make it 'technically legally' the official language.

In our legal system in this country there is a doctrine know as "de facto". In situations where something is not 'officially' enacted as being true, if circumstances are so clear and prevailing that it is true, that makes it the same as being "in fact" (de facto) true. Nobody 'actually' put to paper that English is the 'official' language. But considering that:

A) The constitution of this country was written in English
B) The Bill of Rights of the country was written in English
C) Every bill, law, statute, and executive order of the President..... English
D) All public and private sector business transaction considered legal when in... English
E) The exceeding majority of ALL business in this country being conducted in... English
F) Ask anyone in the world what language is used in the US and the answer is: English

I think it would be safe to say that the US does have a "de facto" official language. And that language would be: .... {don't make me say it}.

Maybe 500 years ago, when Chris first came over, maybe there was some wriggle room as to what will be the official language. But I think after 500 years, by now it's pretty clear what is the dominant language in this country.

{OK, ok... make me say it: English}

(With that said, I don't have a problem with multilingualism. I speak a couple of languages myself I digress.)

[south-to-west]

Come on. It's a friggin business decision to do that. You speak the language of your customers if you want to make money. If a large share of their customers are native Spanish speakers, then have signs in Spanish signs as well. Additionally, it's clearly obvious that if most retail establishments wish to do well in the US, all of their personnel speak English as well.

It's kind of like when you go to a restaurant in a tourist town in Mexico and the menus are in English. It's not the end of the world. English is the lingua franca of the world! I doubt that a local Publix store will usher in the beginning of the end of the English language.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by johnishere

Just to play devil's advocate:

To those who say US does not have an 'official' language - Just because I write down on a piece of paper that I am 6' 4", does not make it so. Just because someone in Washington writes down on a piece of paper that "English is now the official US language", or fails to do so, does not change the statistical reality of how many people use English as the normal conducting business language in this country - it would only make it 'technically legally' the official language.

In our legal system in this country there is a doctrine know as "de facto". In situations where something is not 'officially' enacted as being true, if circumstances are so clear and prevailing that it is true, that makes it the same as being "in fact" (de facto) true. Nobody 'actually' put to paper that English is the 'official' language. But considering that:

A) The constitution of this country was written in English
B) The Bill of Rights of the country was written in English
C) Every bill, law, statute, and executive order of the President..... English
D) All public and private sector business transaction considered legal when in... English
E) The exceeding majority of ALL business in this country being conducted in... English
F) Ask anyone in the world what language is used in the US and the answer is: English

I think it would be safe to say that the US does have a "de facto" official language. And that language would be: .... {don't make me say it}.

Maybe 500 years ago, when Chris first came over, maybe there was some wriggle room as to what will be the official language. But I think after 500 years, by now it's pretty clear what is the dominant language in this country.

{OK, ok... make me say it: English}

(With that said, I don't have a problem with multilingualism. I speak a couple of languages myself I digress.)

Interesting that you used LATIN to make your point.

[johnishere]

Originally Posted by JPD

Interesting that you used LATIN to make your point.

hehehe See. Getting diluted already.