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Some argue it’s a sign of the times; others disagree.
Six months ago, Geno’s Steaks added something new to its famed walls that displays celebrities from across the globe. And, like the establishment’s signature eats, it has gained nationwide attention.
Since Joe Vento, owner of the eatery at 1219 S. Ninth St., put up a placard stating, "This is America – When Ordering Please ‘Speak English,’" he mostly has heard positive feedback.
"I’ve got a lot of people calling me up and can’t wait to buy a steak because of the sign," Vento said last Friday after speaking with "Good Morning America" about the sign’s controversy.
However, the 66-year-old also noted receiving e-mails with such comments as, "I hope one of your neon signs blows out and your place burns down."
The increased attention given to the sign, which includes a bald eagle with an American flag backdrop, has spurred arguments over free speech and the city’s growing group of new immigrants. Local organizations and businesses all seem to have their take on it and what the sign stands for.
In Vento’s opinion, the message has been taken out of context.
"I’m not refusing anybody," said the former resident of Eighth and Reed streets. "The sign doesn’t say ‘This is America – if you don’t speak English, you won’t get served.’"
Rather, the Italian-American hopes to entice immigrants to learn the language just like his ancestors did.
"If you don’t learn to speak English, you cannot progress anywhere. [Immigrants] came here for an economic opportunity. A large part of that comes if you learn English," he said.
NOT QUITE SHARING Vento’s views are establishments like Tony Luke’s, 39 Oregon Ave. Tony Luke Jr., who started the business with his father and brother in 1992, recently became vocal about the issue.
"I am absolutely in 100 percent agreement that when you come to this country, you should learn to speak the English language," Luke said, "but we need to be tolerant of the people that are here while they are learning the language."
Luke takes pride in running a diverse workplace with a staff of Spanish and Asian employees that assist customers when there is a language barrier.
"The city isn’t what it was years ago," he said. "The neighborhoods are all melted together. There’s a lot more ethnic groups all in one area. Businesses need to change with the times."
Since voicing his opinion, Luke also has received hate mail from individuals accusing him of being "un-American."
"I didn’t want to give tourists the wrong impression about Philadelphia cheesesteaks," he said. "I didn’t want it to get out that everyone that has a cheesesteak place expects you to speak English."
Luke added his intention has never been to put down Vento or his establishment, but he did call the sign’s placement "harsh."
"How bad would you feel if you went into a Moroccan restaurant and you didn’t understand the menu [and asking a question] bothered the staff?" he posed.
When marketing Philadelphia as a vacation destination, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau promotes the "idea" of an authentic cheesesteak, but not one business over another, Danielle Cohn, the bureau’s spokesperson, said.
Though she wouldn’t comment on the bureau’s opinion of Geno’s sign, she did note "our job is to welcome people of all cultures and so everything that is done in Philadelphia will get some kind of reaction from various audiences."
Geno’s is a part of the bureau, a membership organization.
International tourists that visit the eatery sometimes do so with the assistance of an English-speaking tour guide, said Vento, again reiterating he has never denied service to any customer, regardless of their ethnic background.
But groups like Juntos, an advocacy organization for the city’s Mexican population, do not see eye-to-eye with Vento.
"Even though the sign doesn’t say ‘No Mexicans served,’ it’s basically what he’s doing," Liza Rodriguez, a board member for the organization at 1318 Ritner St., said.
South Philly continues to house a growing crop of Mexican immigrants, many of whom are undocumented. Vento is not a supporter of this illegal status.
"What does that say about people [legally] waiting in line for a number of years to get into this country?" he asked.
Rodriguez responded by saying Vento’s ancestors, if they were to come to America today, would probably arrive illegally since the United States now permits only a small portion of immigrants into this country.
Learning English is a top priority for those who call the United States their new home, Rodriguez said.
"I don’t know why the public has this misconception of why immigrants don’t want to learn English," she said. "That’s the first thing they do when they get here."
Juntos offers English classes every day of the week "and they’re always full," Rodriguez added.
Thomas Bertolino, owner of 81-year-old Bertolino’s Pharmacy, 1500 S. 12th St., still encounters elderly Italian customers with "very broken English." On occasion, he’ll call a former employee to help translate over the phone.
New immigrants should learn English, Bertolino said, but "I wouldn’t say that person couldn’t get medicine here."
The city also has responded to the controversy. Rachel Lawton, acting executive director for the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, said her group filed a complaint Monday against the sign, while Councilman-at-Large James Kenney sent a letter to Vento last week "politely" asking him to remove it.
While calling Vento a "great guy," Kenney added, "I do believe the sign is mean-spirited. It’s an attempt to create this division of us versus them.
"I just want all of us who have immigration experience in our history to be more compassionate and more understanding to the people who are going through it now."
Kenney said he lacks the ability or legislative power to force Vento to remove the sign.
"Every ethnic group that has come here has experienced prejudice and bigotry," he said. "I don’t think we should be redoing that cycle all over again."
Geno’s was a typical stop when Rodriguez’s parents visited from Puerto Rico, but not anymore.
"I will not take them to Geno’s ever again until he changes his policy," she said.
Not likely, said Vento, who refuses to take down his sign. Business, he said, has not suffered and the owner is sticking to his guns.
"I’m making a statement and I’m going to stand by it and I’m not afraid of the consequences," he said.
