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Knowledge of the English language is no longer a requirement to drive a cab in New York City. To me this displays utter contempt for the majority of people, in order to appease various political or block leaders. Similarly the picture below illustrates an attitude that "English speakers need not apply.
I have no problem in accepting immigrants or integrating foreigners into the work force. I do believe they should learn English, for their own good as much as for the benefit of the rest of society. I don't believe that foreigners should be at the mercy of self-appointed representatives or pot-stirrers.
I also believe that as a member of the traveling public, when I use a regulated carrier such as a taxi or mass transit, I have a right to be served in English.
...
(Picture of Home Depot sign: Buscamos empleados/Now hiring)
Yah. I'm surprised that the Spanish was first - Was the picture taken in a predominantly Spanish-speaking area? & of course, the English is there too (which belies the English speakers need not apply.) However, more horrors do await inside the store - their signage is usually in English first, then in Spanish (& if it were Canada, the second language would be French). & so it goes. Home Depot simply wants to sell everything they can to everyone they can. Lots of department & big-box stores do the same, & lots of packaging & product instructions come in various languages - basically, whatever sells.
Yep, for common carriers, I agree. In the US, drivers should know English, well enough to understand their fares & get around, @ least.
As to the music video - well, we - the US - import ores, food, meat, fish, products low- & high-tech, from all over the World. We also attract people from all over, either through normal commerce, students, relocation of families, immigrants, refugees, people fleeing wars or governments. We've outsourced a lot of production for cheap labor. Did we really think that all this back & forth of money & trade & people would never impact language & culture?
English is a latecomer to the Americas anyway. First it was the Native Peoples, then Vikings, then various European fishing expeditions & explorers, then Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch & so on. Spanish uses mostly the same alphabet, reads left to right, top to bottom, & has a lot of cognate vocabulary with English. It could be much worse, & just wait until we actually get interplanetary alien visitors who hang around long enough to meet & greet in WADC.
Last edited by southwest88; 08-21-2016 at 12:22 PM..
Reason: add
I agree and I repped this post. There is no reason to surrender America without a shot being fired. Notably Japan has taken in almost no immigrants, citing the need to maintain a homogeneous culture. We can and should have a diverse culture but one where the immigrants adapt to ours.
America in this case meaning the United States? I don't know that anyone is asking that the US cease using English - let alone demanding that. Which is unlikely on the face of it, there are many many books & documents & records & archives & online files which exist either in English or some electronic version of English - which are not going to be translated in my lifetime, I expect. Nor is there a pressing need - individual documents can be translated - if needed - either by humans, or by translation software.
Yah, Notably Japan has taken in almost no immigrants, ... to maintain a homogeneous culture. (Except for comfort women [mostly Korean, I believe], Korean & Manchurian & Chinese slave laborers & POWs, & US/British/Dutch/French/Indonesian/Philippine POWs & civilians, & anyone else along the way who presented themselves, who were all murdered, starved or worked to death with abandon - yah, there's a model we want to consider using. Japan still has a good-sized contingent of Korean nationals & their descendants - dating back to late 1800s, who are indistinguishable [to Western eyes] from Japanese, but who don't pass marriage vetting in traditional Japan - & the Ainu, & the Burakumin - but those are separate issues.)
So, yes, all the countries invaded by Japan before & during WWII still protest whenever Japan alters their recent Japanese history curriculum. & the upshot of all this fixation on racial/ethnic niceties for Japan - is that the Japanese people are slowly disappearing. A few more generations, & they'll be too far beyond viable replacement birth rates, & that will be the end of that.
Yah, the US should want to avoid painting ourselves into some kind of ethnic corner. Very few cultures can calmly contemplate seppuku - which is just as well. The territory of the current US has always contained various races/ethnicities, cultures & languages & religions - always, from the moment the Europeans finally showed up to stay.
This seems to be getting portrayed as some sort of politically correct or liberal issue. That is of course quite false.
It is a deregulation issue driven by the cab companies to compete with Uber and Lyft. They were losing the less English competent to the car services and wanted parity.
What did I miss? I thought all classes in public schools are taught in English.
In many schools in New York there are substantive subjects such as math and science taught in other languages. In fact New York's Education Law makes a rhetorical commitment to English and then has many exceptions for situations in which subjects may be taught in other languages.
I agree that it's an issue for the driver and owner of the cab. If their drivers can't communicate with the language of the customers, they won't make any money and things will take care of themselves. No regulations needed. If they're making money and the customers are getting where they have to go, why bother them?
If the driver doesn't know what he's doing the passenger may wind up with a very high fare, and the passenger either has to pay it or risk arrest or violence.
(Picture of Home Depot sign: Buscamos empleados/Now hiring)
Yah. I'm surprised that the Spanish was first - Was the picture taken in a predominantly Spanish-speaking area? & of course, the English is there too (which belies the English speakers need not apply.)
The area is the Rye-Port Chester border. The Rye side is almost entirely English speaking; the Port Chester side mostly Spanish-speaking. The customer base is mostly English speaking to bilingual since many contractors use that kind of a store. To me the primary language on the sign being Spanish is an "unwelcome mat" to possible English-speaking employees. It's saying, basically "don't bother."
Quote:
Originally Posted by southwest88
However, more horrors do await inside the store - their signage is usually in English first, then in Spanish (& if it were Canada, the second language would be French). & so it goes. Home Depot simply wants to sell everything they can to everyone they can. Lots of department & big-box stores do the same, & lots of packaging & product instructions come in various languages - basically, whatever sells.
In Quebec the interior signage is usually French only. And in the store that I pictured and other nearby supermarkets getting help in English is an exercise in futility.
Quote:
Originally Posted by southwest88
Yep, for common carriers, I agree. In the US, drivers should know English, well enough to understand their fares & get around, @ least.
Exactly. Why should English-speakers feel unwelcome.
Quote:
Originally Posted by southwest88
English is a latecomer to the Americas anyway. First it was the Native Peoples, then Vikings, then various European fishing expeditions & explorers, then Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch & so on. Spanish uses mostly the same alphabet, reads left to right, top to bottom, & has a lot of cognate vocabulary with English. It could be much worse, & just wait until we actually get interplanetary alien visitors who hang around long enough to meet & greet in WADC.
Maybe we all need a crash course in Vulcan and Klingon.
If the driver doesn't know what he's doing the passenger may wind up with a very high fare, and the passenger either has to pay it or risk arrest or violence.
There are already laws against violence.
Some drivers don't know what to do regardless of language. I typically have to give the cab driver turn-by-turn directions when I'm going home from the airport. Wish they would use GPS navigation!
Drivers who have a pattern of not knowing what to do will get complaints and have their license revoked. Drivers will also risk their fares not getting paid (and no tips of course). Those who do a poor job will naturally get weeded out.
In many schools in New York there are substantive subjects such as math and science taught in other languages. In fact New York's Education Law makes a rhetorical commitment to English and then has many exceptions for situations in which subjects may be taught in other languages.
I agree these classes should be taught in English since it's the predominant language. It would serve the students best.
For taxi drivers, I see it as a business decision to not learn English and the businesses would suffer the consequences.
You don't need to know english to simply drive someone. "Hi, I'm going to 5555 Park Place". Driver plugs in "5555 Park Place" into GPS & off they go. I don't speak french but I'm sure if I was a cab driver in Paris, hearing "5555 Champs Elysees" is the only thing I need to hear & off I drive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by southwest88 Yep, for common carriers, I agree. In the US, drivers should know English, well enough to understand their fares & get around, @ least.
Exactly. Why should English-speakers feel unwelcome.
Quote:
Originally Posted by southwest88 English is a latecomer to the Americas anyway. First it was the Native Peoples, then Vikings, then various European fishing expeditions & explorers, then Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch & so on. Spanish uses mostly the same alphabet, reads left to right, top to bottom, & has a lot of cognate vocabulary with English. It could be much worse, & just wait until we actually get interplanetary alien visitors who hang around long enough to meet & greet in WADC.
Maybe we all need a crash course in Vulcan and Klingon.
In the case of fares, I'm more concerned with the efficiency & safety of the drive, really.
For aliens? The Klingons would certainly be up for a crash course, I'm sure. Anyone who prefers a Bat'Lethover an ordinary disruptor must have a deep-seated desire for hand-to-hand combat. The Vulcans are different, they'd prefer a nerve-pinch or some such.
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@ last, the 15th century
