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Free Speech at Steak: Commission Blasts Geno's English-Only Policy

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Gloria Campisi, Philadelphia Daily News

Jun. 13--"This is America. When ordering, speak English."

The sign, at Geno's Steaks, a South Philadelphia landmark, has drawn not just controversy but now a complaint from the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations.

Owner Joey Vento, whose own grandparents immigrated from Italy but who has steadfastly refused to take down the signs, wasn't around to make any comment on the complaint, issued late yesterday.

But the English-only sign is aimed at the rapidly expanding Mexican population in the South Philadelphia neighborhood around 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue where Geno's is located, across the street from Philadelphia's other famous steak shop, Pat's.

"This was a predominantly Italian neighborhood, and for some reason it's turning Mexican," public policy consultant Deborah Leavy quoted Vento as saying in a recent Daily News column. "They're not speaking the language. It's a big problem, and it's getting worse," Vento said.

The neighborhood's Mexican population has swelled to about 10,000 in recent years, many from the Mexican state of Puebla, and employed on 10-to-14 hour shifts in local restaurants, construction and housecleaning.

The complaint was brief - stating that the English-only rule had the effect of "discouraging patronage by non-English-speaking customers, all because of national origin and/or ancestry."

Commission acting executive director Rachel Lawton wasn't available for comment, so it was unknown whether the commission took the action in response to news reports, whether it had received a complaint from a Geno's customer, or what the next step in the complaint process would be.

Issues of free speech and public access clash in the Geno's case.

Vento has said he's received support from around the country and has appeared on TV and talk radio shows.

But the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau advertises Philadelphia as "rich in multicultural history" and spends big bucks attracting tourists from all over.

City Councilman Jim Kenney, who had asked Vento to remove the signs, said "we never ever want to send a negative message to tourists."

But for Kenney, who said he's been getting "ugly calls" since coming out against the signs, the concern is more personal.

"South Philadelphia has a rich and very deep history of the immigrant experience," Kenney said.

"First-, second-, third- and fourth-generation Americans have lost sight of their own experience here... . This is like a cheesesteak tempest in a teapot," he added.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Philadelphia Daily News

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Philadelphia Daily News

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