"English-only" eatery faces probe

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A civil rights watchdog agency opened an investigation on Monday into a Philadelphia cheese steak restaurant that posted a sign saying "This is America - when ordering, speak English."

The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations complaint effectively opens a case against Geno's Steaks of South Philadelphia, said Rachel Lawton, acting executive director of the agency.

The Philadelphia controversy has fed a national debate over immigration in which the U.S. Senate passed a bill that would declare English the national language and politicians have raised objections to a Spanish version of the national anthem.


The sign may violate the city's Fair Practices Ordinance, which bans businesses from discriminating on the basis of nationality or ethnicity, Lawton said.

So a business man is persecuted for dictating the terms on which he does business? Gee, I thought this was a capitalist country.....

There's no discrimination going on here. He's not telling any ethnic groups they can't order there. He's simply saying he refuses to conform to thier language in his own country, at his own business. And kudos to him I say. This is after all America. Why should I have to press 1 to proceed to the next menu?