I wasn’t going to post on this but I knew it would stir up the shock jocks amongst us, and right on cue that well know contrarian and all around asshat Andrew Bolt has commented on it so I might as well respond.
Dozens of businesses in Sydney’s inner west may have to translate foreign-language signs into English under a council proposal that some have called racist and divisive.
But the plan at Marrickville Council, which is split over the issue, has received support from other ethnically diverse councils in its area, including neighbouring Rockdale Council. Auburn and Hurstville councils have already ordered businesses to use English signs.
Here is what the Asshat said.
A community that seems to be collapsing into ethnic and religious tribes naturally scares people. The usual preachers will damn this kind of reaction, but will need to see that the anxiety is real and demands serious solutions to a serious problem.
I live in this community, and it is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse, yet socially homogeneous in Sydney, walking down Marrickville Rd you see Asians, Pacific Islanders, Africans, gayboys and girls and a whole lot of middle Australians working, shopping and eating together. Tribes? Hardly. Different? You bet. Anxious? Ummm, no.
And last time I checked the only riots and bad inter ethnic behaviour the city is experiencing apparently exists in the generally lily white suburbs of Cronulla and Manly where the incursion of brown folk appears to be met with deep suspicion. In Marrickville everyone is welcome.
I too live in the Marrickville area and I agree with Phil.
The Marrickville and Illawarra Road shopping district is a heady and polyglot mix and it all hangs together really well. I don’t have any problem whatsoever with Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic or Greek shopfront signage and if business operators don’t offer an English translation (the vast majority do, BTW) it generally relates to the specific product on offer. If your business is selling or renting Asian language videos or DVD’s, what exactly would be the business point of advertising the fact in English?
A non-issue if ever there was one.
fancy saying people should have the mother language on signs.
Next they will want people to speak the damn language!
I find in Eastwood whilst Chinese, Korean or Indian stores cater mainly for those who have that in their heritage Caucasians also can buy their products if they know about it.
In essence it is bad business not to have some sort of advertising in English.
I have no objection to a lack of translation, but I’m more likely to go to a store with English signs. Especially when I’m not familiar with a lot of the products. Legislating it is just daft though.
I’m more likely to go to a store that has English signage too and it’s worth pointing that the vast majority of shops in Marrickville do. However, apart from Homer obviously, it seems unlikely that lots of “caucasians” would be queueing up to get their hands on Korean language vids. Whatever, it’s maybe a case where the market, rather than LGA councillors, is the best determinant of what works.
This may come as news to Geoff but these shops have a lot more products than that which indeed appeal to Caucasians types
Phil: “…generally lily white suburbs…”
Man, I just love language of color. No, wait, I meant to say ‘colorful language.’ This whole English-as-a-second-language thing has still got me tied up in knots. I was much better at it, frankly, back when it was my first language.
Homer may or may not be right that it’s bad business for these shops not to have an English sign. But the point is surely that it is their business, not some redneck councillor’s.
And Phil’s right – it’s not the polyglot areas of Sydney that have had the troubles but the more homogenous ones.
Every time something like this comes up, the anglo or anglocentric posters often feel the need to start their posts with phrases along the line of “I don’t have a problem with….”. This indicates that the opinions of us non-white guys (and, by the way, I include us Greeks as non-white in the Australian context) is still not considered.
I don’t have a problem with shop signs in any language.
In fact I can’t say I really thought about til this was raised! Signage in other languages adds to the diversity and flavour of the neighbourhood. If we have a problem we could always pop our head into the store and ask what the sign means! More neighbourly that way. Or drop in and see what’s for sale. I took a tour round a Chinese Emporium recently (just lookin’) and was delighted to see the variety of stuff you just don’t see in Woolies or Coles, which seem to stock the same old same old.
But the anxiety is real, Phil. It’s reeeaaal I say!
DD I did not say signs but advertising. Signs are a part of advertising.
Damn I posted without a title, can’t remember ever doing that, funny. Anyway corrected now.
I thought maybe it was a nonsignage post…
Yeah sure, it’s shop signage in multi-cultural areas that’s creating anxiety, fear and suspicion in the suburbs, really it is.
The day professional whiners like that have to get of their lily white colonialist arses and actually contribute something meaningful, positive and creative to this country will be stunning.
Aside from deriding stupid journalists… I was in Little Bourke St in Melbourne not long ago and the stuff in the Chinese shops was gorgeous. Little buddhas, crystal balls and some delightful “hello kitty” stuff that reminded me of the fyxo t-shirts… =D There was also a sign making mention of the need for Australian Chinese children to be taught about their cultural heritage, which I thought was great.
Third Marrickvillian signing in.
While I haven’t done a comprehensive study, Geoff and Phil have it pretty much bang to rights – there are very few of these shops, most of them are selling non-english media, those that aren’t you can usually tell what they’re selling by window displays or – gasp! – going inside and having a look. This is a big red-herring put out by some dishonest and demagogic councillors (Victor Macri and Morris Hanna – Greek and Egyptian respectively) to get their dodgy antics viz. the recent mayoral sucession battle off the headlines.
Marrickville’s multicultural mix works awesomely, and it’s a pity to see Crs. Hanna and Macri lining up with Australia First and the Patriotik Yoof Leeg.
You’re right Mark, I should have written that in another language…….bugger I wish I’d thought of that.
As long as they also introduce a by-law to ensure apostrophes are used in a non-apocryphal manner on english-language signs…
I was tempted to translate it into French or Latin, Phil, but somehow I don’t think those are the languages that are “upsetting” folks.
I heard the good councillor mention Zimbabwe this evening on SBS, that’s when it occurred to me that he may have a problem with all the Africans you see around here.
He may be channeling some old Greek/Italian talking points that he’s heard in his travels around the area. There is a lot of old Greek/Italian money and migrants in the ares and they may be feeling threatened by the new arrivals………..ironic.
Yeah, I love Asian shops too. There’s a great Korean emporium that has all kinds of stuff, from the sublime to the ridiculous. I bought some cutesy stationery there last year, with some hilarious mistranslations printed on them. One of the best was a notepad inscribed with “I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toss” surrounded by hearts.
Oops – I meant to say “There’s a great Korean emporium in the Valley in Brisbane”…
It’s possible Phil, though I’ve yet to see any Bantu or Dinka signage around – most of the wrath seems to be directed at The Dreaded Incomprehensible Vietnamese Video Store of Doom on Illawarra road.
Fourth sort of local – I live in Erko – just a stone’s throw away. I don’t get the bit about not covering more than half the window with advertising. Umm – why not? That’s most of thecorner shop seven elevens gone!
But I do like the signs in Greek in Marrickville – I like painstakingly working out what they say, usually to find out it’s much the same in English, just written differently.
They probably all look alike to him Leinad. I think it was dark. I’m gonna take a pic of the shop tomorrow before it gets all gentrified and lit up like the Blockbuster down the road.
Lost charm, coming soon to a video store near you.
Funny that most of the lefties here have a better appreciation of private property rights than that socialist asshat quoted by Phil …
Bolty’s never been much of a libertarian, social or economic – that’d require some form of systematic or at least vaguely consistent thinking.
The fucking obvious point here is that it’s the free market at work. The shops in question have worked out who their customers are and promoted themselves accordingly. Why spend extra money trying to flag down non-customers?
The moment cheap bad Vietmanese action musicals become an item in demand among a big Anglo audience, they’ll change their signage themselves.
You don’t see the Thais, Viets, Koreans, Greeks or even the Frogs for that matter complaining about about the signage for English language book, music and movie stores in their cities.
Just so, Nabs.
Typical of that elitist Bolty to take potshots at the small business owners on Struggle Street, Marrickville from his coward’s castle in the oligopolistic Murdoch empire.
Seriously, the last people you’d expect to support free markets are the culture warriors.
Perhaps a law that requires Bolt to be translated into Vietnamese to ensure “balance” is in order?