2007年11月23日
New Yorkers annoyed by Korean invasion
Give us a sign that all are welcome
BY LION CALANDRA
Tuesday, August 14th 2007, 4:00 AM
I'm sorry to say it, but it must be said: My love affair with Flushing is over. It's too bad, really, because I've always been crazy about Flushing. Actually, I love everything about New York City. I was born and raised in New York, and Flushing to me has always embodied the best of what this city is: bustling street life, punctuated by the cacophony of the No. 7 line that signals all roads lead to Main St.
There's great baseball.
Tennis.
A fantastic library.
And it's home to the Unisphere. Who doesn't love the Unisphere?
But the love affair hit the skids recently following a meal of (the most amazing and to-die-for) soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai. (Another reason to love Flushing.)
After dinner, a friend and I strolled up 37th Ave. As we peeked into store windows, I realized that I couldn't identify any of the businesses. Travel agent? Real estate? Dentist? Card store? One shop seemed to sell housewares, but every sign in the front window was written in Korean. Or was it Chinese?
Sure, business owners can have signs in any language they choose, but why would they want to shut out a huge section of their potential customer base?
Aside from being exclusionary, it's bad economics. Offering signs only in Korean fosters a closed culture; it says, in essence, that "If you can't read this, you can't shop here." That's wrong. That's un-American.
I know there have been controversies about this very issue. In 2003, an uproar over a Korean billboard on 162nd St. prompted City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Queens) to call for a crackdown on merchant signs written entirely in foreign languages. Avella urged the enforcement of an obscure state law that requires signs to include some English.
That's not a bad idea.
It cannot be said enough that this country was built by the tireless work ethic of immigrants from everywhere in the world. They come here, huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
They are included. Of course, it's not perfect. There is discrimination. I'm no Pollyanna; I'm well aware of the bias that can permeate this city.
But I've also been witness to the extraordinary good fellowship of people from myriad cultures. Just being here means they were not shut out. I'm grateful for that. It would be nice to know that Flushing's merchants are, too.
Which is why it so outrages me that any group of people would systematically try to shut out other groups. It goes against the principles that attracted them to these shores in the first place.
When I find myself on foreign shores, I don't expect to see signs posted in English. Of course, in many countries there are signs written in multiple languages for the benefit of tourists.
When I travel to Flushing, I'm not a tourist.
Last year in Israel, a proposal that would see all intercity road signs on Israel's highways replaced by English-only signs caused a firestorm, with a transportation official saying the move would put the lives of Israeli drivers - many of whom speak Hebrew exclusively - at risk.
Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad voiced his objection to the plan in a letter to the minister of transportation, noting that "I wish to remind you the official language in Israel is Hebrew."
"No sane country in the world would propose signs in a foreign language only," Eldad argued.
Enough said.
In Philadelphia recently, the owner of Geno's Steaks instituted an English-only ordering policy. A sign in the window of his establishment read: "This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH."
That's just stupid. And a clear example of discrimination.
But I wonder if it's really that much different than what has been going on in Flushing, where it is an anomaly to see a sign written in English.
It's not necessary for everyone to speak perfect English. In other countries, like Italy, it's crucial to pass a language proficiency test before you can apply for a job, get a library card, etc.
But I'm happy the United States doesn't put those types of demands on people who have signed on for the American Dream.
And that American Dream is for everyone, not just one group.
By putting their signs only in their native language, the merchants are saying to me that they don't want my business. They don't want to entertain the idea that someone who doesn't speak their language would spend money to purchase their merchandise or use their services.
So, I've decided to give them what they want. I'm spending my money where it's welcome.
It's too bad, really, because I do love Flushing. And I really did enjoy those soup dumplings.
これらの写真はなんとニューヨークの街角。
新大久保じゃありません。