Judges fed up with some jury duty attendees

The last time I served jury duty, the judges were quite perturbed by the excuses the jurors came up with for not serving.

If you know you can't hear well, you should have brought your hearing aid.

Being a chiropractor is not a life or death profession that requires your attendance at work.

If you can't understand English, then how did you figure out what the judge was asking you?

The total transformation of a community

From the Queens Chronicle:

In October 1965 a liberalized immigration law known as the Hart-Celler Act was passed allowing immigrants to come to America and bring family along later without quota restrictions. Opponents of the bill said immigration would get out of hand and engulf and change communities overnight. Flushing was one such neighborhood whose identity was changed and lost overnight as predicted.

In the early 20th century, 40th Road was a block of handyman shops. Rent was cheaper here than on Main Street. It you needed a locksmith, plumber, printer or even a quick haircut, 40th Street was where you would go for a good deal and fair prices.

Other shops were there too. In the 1930s came Shifman’s kosher butcher shop, which later became Dan Schreiber’s kosher butcher shop, a staple for many years at 135-38 40 Road. Schreiber’s speciality was corned beef and pickled tongue.

Next door, right on the corner with Main Street, was the Hy-Heat Coal Co. When coal went out of favor as a fuel, the site became became the home of the M.C. Avery liquor store. That was another neighborhood staple. In 1962 it became Gem Liquor, which continued to operate there until 1987.

Today 40th Road is of course filled with Asian-American shops, with most signs not even written in English.

Many people who come to America have already studied our history. Perhaps the Bowne House, a symbol of freedom of religion located a short distance away, is one reason this neighborhood was chosen as the favorite place to be for one wave of immigrants who came here.

I sincerely doubt that was the reason. Actually I know it wasn't a reason at all. Think tweeding.

Brooklyn school has quota for poor kids

From the Daily News:

In a first for the Bloomberg administration, a highly regarded Brooklyn elementary school has set admissions quotas for poor and immigrant students.

Starting next fall, Public School 133 in Park Slope will set aside 30% of its coveted kindergarten seats for kids who are living in poverty or are struggling to learn English.

The local school board voted to approve the admissions scheme this week after dozens of meetings with parents, education officials and school administrators.

“The goal is to the enhance diversity of the school by making sure preference is given to the neediest students,” said one of the creators of the plan, Community Education Council 15 President Jim Devor.

No other city school dedicates seats for poor kids, though about two dozen high schools with special language programs have admissions criteria that favor students who need to learn English.

Education officials said the admissions quotas are legal since they are not based on race, and other schools may employ them in the future, if parents ask for them.

British actor meets Midville wiseguys

Avella pushing for English on store signs

From the NY Post:

All businesses in the city would be required to post signs in English, under a proposed state law aimed at merchants who erect signs in foreign languages only.

Firms that fail to comply would face fines ranging from $250 to $5,000 for repeat offenses.

The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Queens), applies only to the city and requires any firm that erects a foreign-language sign to also post a sign of equal size in English.

Avella admitted he’s touching the third rail of politics, given New York’s sensitivity to immigrants who speak hundreds of different languages. But he said it’s fair.

“I know it’s controversial. But it’s time to move forward on this. English is the most prevalent language in the country,” said Avella.

Critics have blasted English-language-requirements as a violation of free speech and discrimination against newcomers.

But Avella defended the bill as pro-safety because firefighters and other responders would be able to more speedily respond to an emergencies by knowing the type of facility they’re entering.

Vallone wants cab drivers to speak English

From the Queens Gazette:

Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr. last week blasted officials at the city Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) for approving a plan to issue street hail permits to livery drivers – including drivers that can’t speak English.

Vallone said he is looking into legislation that would give drivers a grace period, during which they must learn to speak English. Drivers who fail to comply by the end of the grace period could lose their permit.

The TLC last week approved new rules that would allow 18,000 livery drivers to obtain permits to pick up street hails, bypassing car service companies.

The new permits will be sold in groups of 6,000 a year, beginning in June 2012, only to current livery drivers.

Existing TLC rules require drivers of yellow cabs to pass a test showing they can speak English, possess a knowledge of city geography and understand all agency rules, before they are issued a permit.

Asian pols want signs in English

From the NY Times:

Flushing, Queens, is one of New York’s most polyglot immigrant neighborhoods. But a member of the City Council, who is known by some as the unofficial mayor of Flushing, is railing against the dominance of Chinese, Korean and other foreign languages on storefronts.

The council member, Peter Koo, is no would-be Archie Bunker. He is a Chinese-American who grew up in Hong Kong and is proud of his Asian roots.

Mr. Koo said that diminishing the proper role of English on signs threatened to alienate non-Asian customers and residents. He is proposing a measure that would require all storefront signs to be at least 60 percent English. Businesses would face fines if they did not comply.

“This is America, no? If I go to a Polish neighborhood and only see Polish signs, I would not be comfortable,” said Mr. Koo, a Republican. “New York is a city of immigrants, and English is a way for different ethnic groups to communicate.”

Time to change the signs

Why would Toby propose this?

Toby Stavisky proposes a phrase translation pamphlet for English-speaking shoppers to use while in Flushing (instead of requiring adequate signage in English).

So in America, we're expected to accept non-English signage throughout an entire neighborhood, AND spend tax $$$$$ to produce and distribute pamphlets so that we may have some chance to understand another language? Moreover, how would such a translation pamphlet actually work, as the Asian symbols do not correspond at all to the Latin alphabet and a user of the pamphlet would not readily be able to locate "alphabetized" Asian symbols/phrases? Can Stavisky actually be this brain-dead?

Here is the article from the Queens Courier.

"At a meeting in January, Meng, Councilmember Peter Koo and State Senator Toby Stavisky proposed a shopper’s guide with translations of common phrases in Chinese, Korean and Hindi. The pamphlet was originally proposed by Stavisky’s late husband, former State Senator Leonard P. Stavisky."

They're not interested in having English-speaking customers

From the NY Post:

"The World Guide to Shopping" would translate 29 expressions, like "Do you have a larger size?" and "Would you like to use our layaway plan?" It will be released by the end of the year, and paid for by private grants, said Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing), who formed a sign task force.

The state's general-business law states that signs must display their name legibly "in the English language," or face a misdemeanor. But the legislation does not specify who should enforce it, and no agency has, said Meng.

Last year, neighboring school PS 20 got a $2,000 city grant to have school kids translate indoor signs into multiple languages. But of the 100 stores they approached, only 23 agreed to participate. Some stores that did have since taken down the signs.

"The limited English is a problem. It's a fear [of using English] more than anything else," said Lois Chin Lee, a former Flushing resident who organized the PS 20 project.

Kanguk Lee, of J.E. Deli and Grocery in Flushing, said only Asian customers care about the products advertised in his Korean signs.

"No Americans eat this!" said Lee, pointing to a Korean sign for kimchi (pickled vegetables).

That's funny because there are plenty of Americans of Korean descent that may not necessarily know how to read the language but love kim chee. And, in fact, I was at a very American buffet recently that served it, too.

Inconsiderate business owners

Letter to the Editor (Queens Chronicle):

As a lifelong Queens resident, I feel like my community is being invaded by people who are not looking to be part of a neighborhood by displaying signs in their language. These signs now run all the way down Northern Boulevard into Great Neck.

I and most of my friends and neighbors feel their message is hostile and not welcoming to our business. Let’s be honest: Who would go into a store that is has a blocked-off window and no English in sight? They do not want our business, and are not willing to learn English. Why some people leave their country to come here, just to keep themselves separate, I cannot understand.

I doubt change will ever come from a government agency; it’s not politically correct. Gone are the days when immigrants made an effort. Now we must make the effort to learn how many languages? I will keep my money for store owners who work to get my business. Good luck, 20 years and still nothing has been done. Shameful indeed.

Barbara Smith
Bayside

And then there's the great supermarket debate.

Immigrants and voting - two opinions

From Sunnyside Post:

It is time for our evolving democracy to embrace voting rights in local elections for all residents. We are all stakeholders in our community and should have a say in important local issues. In the words of the Revolutionary patriots who put their lives on the line for the freedoms we enjoy today, “No taxation without representation.”

Our democracy is becoming ever more inclusive, but we still have a long way to go. Over the years, we have recognized the right of African Americans, women, and others to vote. Even so, this progress has not yet extended to all residents. Tax paying residents who do not yet have citizenship cannot vote, even in local elections.

New York has always been a beacon for both immigrants and democracy. This is why we should lead the way in ensuring that our non-citizen community members can exercise the right to vote in local elections.

Meanwhile, in Brooklyn...courtesy of Sheepshead Bites:

“For far too long, dozens of thousands of the Russian-American senior citizens of New York have been shut out of the voting process unfairly because of the language barrier,” pontificated State Sen. Carl Kruger when he introduced the legislation. Passed by the New York state Senate 48 to14 on May 28, the bill, known as S. 552 – An act to amend the election law in relation to providing Russian-language voting materials” passed the state Assembly with only 23 members dissenting out of 132 votes cast.

Russian was thereby added to the list of existing alternate languages in which election material must be printed, the others being Spanish, Chinese and Korean.

...we don’t really have a need for these translations. I don’t know who is going to be reading them, when all this can be heard on the radio in a form that is a lot more interesting and less officious.

Other than that, I have never had any problems at the voting polls. Respectful Russian–speaking volunteers showed and explained everything.

It appears that the motivation behind this bill was painfully transparent — it was a dishonest and disrespectful misjudging of the Russian community by the politicians.

“In my humble opinion, I just don’t understand real purpose of this bill,” immigrant Boris Borovoy states flatly. “The majority of politically active Russian-Americans are fluent in English and have no need for a Russian translation; to me it’s another pork barrel, another waste of taxpayers’ money for a mostly symbolic purpose.

And for hard-working, middle-class Russian-Americans it’s real slap in a face. “Want to make some important political decisions? Learn English, comrade. That’s as simple as it gets”.

Kids put English signs in Flushing stores

From the Queens Chronicle:

In Flushing this summer, it’s the children who are leading the way when it comes to increasing the number of English-language signage in downtown stores.

For years, non-Asian shoppers in Flushing have complained about the lack of English signs with names and prices of fruits and vegetables and other commodities sold on the bustling thoroughfares around Main Street. The city’s Department of Consumer Affairs has made forays into the community, issuing citations for the no-English signs, but the practice has continued and there are just too many stores to keep up with, according to the agency.

Enter Lois Lee, director of the Chinese American Planning Council School Aged Day Care Center at PS 20. With a large contingent of youngsters from elementary school age through high school, she has organized a five-week community service project to fix the signs.

Keeping English off signs merchandise, “discriminates against those who can’t read Chinese, like me,” Lee said. “I can speak in Chinese but I never learned the letters.”

Last week, groups of summer campers from Lee’s program visited merchants along Main Street explaining that they would make bilingual signs if the store owners agreed to post them. According to Lee, some said they would be happy to while others gave a decided no.

There was a wide variety of shops canvassed, including restaurants, fruit stores, herbal shops and pharmacies.

Youngsters spent the rest of the week painstakingly making 200 signs with Chinese symbols and the English translation. On Friday, they revisited the sites and helped erect the new signs.

Lisa, the store manager at New A & N Food Market at 41-79 Main St., was happy to help the campers match the new signs with the fruit. Youngsters held up their placards for peaches, dragon fruit, plums, melons and more.

Many of the kids said the project was fun and they learned that it was a city law that all signs must include English. They will return to the stores in five weeks to see how their initiative worked out.

Lee promised this week to do a similar undertaking with Korean merchants along Union Street. She was still looking for adult helpers who spoke Korean to help write the signs.

(P.S. Toby can't figure out what kind of fruit she is.)

NYC schools still suck

From the Daily News:

Over the last four years, the number of children deemed "proficient" on standardized English and math exams has steadily climbed, particularly in the city. In English, 57% of city eighth-graders scored proficient in 2009, up from 37% in 2006. In math, the number rose to 71% from 39%.

While the gains reflected rising achievement, there is fresh and stunning evidence that New York's definition of "proficient" has been a fraud.

To wit: Almost half the eighth-graders who scored at the lowest level eligible to qualify as proficient will never graduate from high school.

To wit: Almost three-quarters of city teenagers who make it through graduation and go on to City University community colleges require remediation before they can tackle course work.

State Education Commissioner David Steiner is about to use these and many other dismal statistics to explain why New York must dramatically overhaul how it measures whether students are actually on track, not only to graduate from high school, but also to attend college.

The exercise will be painful, starting with soon-to-be-released results of this year's standardized tests. As Steiner put it in a meeting with the Daily News Editorial Board, "a lot" of students will be notified that they are sub-par - even though they previously had been graded as proficient.

Instructors who had been satisfied with their students' performance will discover they have not really been getting the job done.

Schools that have seemed excellent will confront being rated as mediocre.

Asian pols push for English signs

From the Times Ledger:

State Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) said last week she and City Councilman Peter Koo (R-Flushing) were encouraging business owners in the community to put up newer-looking signs on their storefronts that include English translations.

But Meng said the initiative was merely a proposal and that she did not intend to seek violations against business owners who opted out of the program nor attempt to pass any laws to require English language signs.

“A lot of stores have signs in English already, but we want to make them look neater and more uniform,” she said Friday during a news conference at her Flushing office on 38th Avenue.

Meng said the proposal equally emphasized replacing shoddy signs with newer ones as it did promoting the use of the English language at Chinese- and Korean-based stores. The project would not have a quick turnaround, but could take months or years, she said.

She is putting together an advisory board of local business owners for the project.

But some Flushing business leaders at the news conference asked why the issue was once again coming up and discouraged using state money for the new signs amid the economic downturn.

The assemblywoman said funding for the project had already been allocated. The program would likely begin with a pilot project involving a few stores and eventually could be expanded to the entire neighborhood.

It would be a volunteer project, Meng said.

Dry erase board message has MTA in a tizzy

From Urbanite:

A transit worker along the No. 7 line apparently made a public dig against straphangers without English skills recently, and the bizarre incident has left MTA officials livid, saying it falls contrary to efforts to increase public transit’s accessibility.

“It’s very upsetting to me,” John Hoban, general line manager of the No. 7 train, said yesterday. “It is the antithesis of what the No. 7 line is about.”

Last week, a transit employee at the Hunters Point Avenue station scrawled “English spoken here” on the token booth’s dry erase board. The sign shocked some riders in the multi-ethnic enclave.

“That’s very rude,” said Wesley Fruge, 26, a Long Island City straphanger who snapped a photo of the sign on Friday. “It’s something that shouldn’t have been there.”

As an agency rule, token booth boards can only display service updates or MetroCard information. Officials yesterday were still investigating who was responsible for the writing and are expected to question two station agents today.

The ironic thing is that you have to be able to read English in order to be offended.

Gillibrand wants funding for English instruction increased

From the Daily News:

Two New York lawmakers are spearheading efforts in Washington to empower immigrants to learn English, thereby boosting the ailing economy.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-Brooklyn) unveiled a bill Monday for more funding to teach immigrants English, U.S. history and civics.

"We would be remiss if we miss this opportunity to utilize every breathing living person amongst us - to bring them up to optimum productivity," Clarke said of giving immigrants a chance to get a firm grasp of the language.

The bill, unveiled at a news conference in immigrant-rich Elmhurst, calls for $200 million in funding for fiscal year 2010. That is a jump from the $70 million allocated for this fiscal year.

Press One for English