Family-Owned Thai Restaurant in Texas Gets Racist ‘Speak English’ Note From Customer

Jin Hyun

 

 

A Thai restaurant located in Lubbock, Texas received a disturbing anonymous message on Thursday, demanding that the restaurant’s employees “learn to speak English.”

 

Thai Thai Restaurant posted a photo of the message, which was handwritten on a napkin, on their Facebook page. The note read: “If you’re going to live in AMERICA learn to speak ENGLISH! Or, go back to where you came from!”

 

The identity of the person who wrote the racist message, which was reportedly left at the counter during lunchtime, remains unknown.

 

 

Full story: https://nextshark.com/thai-restaurant-racist-message/

 

Nextshark: 2019-11-23

Could easily be a hoax. Free publicity already achieved. Not to mention sympathy patronage soon coming up.

There's a lummox in Lubbock.

The restaurant could reply with; go stuff your face at home....

No burgers on the menu then?

To open a business in Thailand you must give 51% control to a Thai

 

For each work permit you must employ 4 Thais

 

but someone frustrated that nobody in an American business can speak English is racist?

Being that so much of Texas is Spanish speaking, I always find these kinda idiots to be especially idiotic. Wonder what the perpetrator would do upon visiting New Braunfels with so many street signs in German.

How was the note racist?

I'll probably catch hell for this, but in a way I tend to agree with the sentiments of the note. I learned very quickly that to truly get by in Thailand I had to learn the language. If you are living in a country whose language is different than your own, it pays to learn it. 

17 minutes ago, zydeco said:

Could easily be a hoax. Free publicity already achieved. Not to mention sympathy patronage soon coming up.

They wrote the correct 'you're', as opposed to the incorrect 'your', so yes, I doubt an American wrote it. 

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

How was the note racist?

Thai being a nationality

Well, anyone that up roots and go to live elsewhere should be ready to be singled out, ridiculed and ostracised to a varying degree, it happened here to many foreigners and it happened everywhere else, so either roll with the punches or do your soul searching... 

8 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

How was the note racist?

The note is not racist.

 

It might be crass, inflammatory and even stupid considering it's an immigrant business. But the note is not racist.

If the happy birthday party for poppa picture is actually a family photo (therefore inclusion herein), I very much doubt that there is an English language barrier.

 

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

How was the note racist?

Xenophobic 

21 minutes ago, Dexlowe said:

There's a lummox in Lubbock.

That's where Buddy Holly came from, and he was no lummox though!

I'm Merican and I speak English and Apache.

 

 

4 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

I'll probably catch hell for this, but in a way I tend to agree with the sentiments of the note. I learned very quickly that to truly get by in Thailand I had to learn the language. If you are living in a country whose language is different than your own, it pays to learn it. 

But you still meet a lot of people who can't even order a noodle soup in Thai after living here for many moons.....

What would be in the news if a Thai would write such a note about foreigners living in LOS? 

 

These are the people who usually call Thais idiots, not knowing who the real idiot is. 

 

 Would anybody write such a note at a Turkish market in Berlin, where only words like social help in German, etc. are known, the person would be a racist up and down.

 

  I'd have thought that they do speak some English, maybe not perfect, but nothing in this world is perfect. 

 

Is it possible that the author of the napkin note is a member of KKK? 

 

    

The fact that this is news, indicate that this sort of thing is actually quite rare. I don't think it would have been news 20 or 30 years ago.

perhaps the patron should just stick to Happy Meals,  they are quite popular with inbred racist hillbillies. 

3 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

What would be in the news if a Thai would write such a note about foreigners living in LOS?

They do. Publicly. And some even hold high positions. And none of it makes any critical news at all.

If you’re operating a restaurant in an English speaking country.

And the majority of your customers are English speakers  too.

You would hope that the staff can communicate with the customers

 

When I work the hotel before an Aussie couple got lost with the thai taxi. 

Because there accent say the hotel name wrong. So he take them to wrong hotel (sound same they say it)

 

They so angry!!

They say “Stupid idiot, why he can not speak English? They should speak English!” 

Very rude to the guy. They refuse pay to him. Very sticky!

 

I explain for them 

1) if he high education, study English, he not will be taxi driver, he will have higher job. 

2) and because they say it wrong way. 

 

Have many other time have customer say like this “should speak English”. A lot. Angry. Same taxi driver, just cleaner staff or waiter staff, low salary. Expect to much.

 

i think always it people who not learn another language who think like this. 

Always England, Aussie, say it this way.

German, Italian, Chinese etc never complain angry this way. I think they understand learn the language not easy. Will make some mistake.

 

For me euro speaking English is easier than Aussie or English speaking, because they use simple grammar.

 

If they study another language, they can understand is very difficult. ESPECIALLY understand other person talking quickly.

 

Learn language have 4 thing. 

1) writing

2) reading

3) speaking

4) listening. 

 

Listening the most difficult one. Sure. Because the 1,2,3 you control the speed. 

4 the other person control. So more difficult.

 

people think “oh she can speak English” but is difficult to listen.

 

if you not speak thai in thailand, is best to speak very slow, and basic English. 

Basic English easy for thai to understand. Not make it complicated grammar. Is to difficult. 

 

 

Ps. I can not understand Scotland people 1%.

 

 

 

The guy who write it is idiot.

If they not speak English, they can not read the note.

 

 

Speak nicely and with respect - get treated nicely and with respect

If I was the Thai taxi driver - immediate stop, open door, remove garbage, close door, drive on

This note just proves some people are just very very special to$$ers !!!... 

 

And to add, also gallactically stupid...   Writing a note in English to someone they are accusing of not speaking English !!! the irony of dumb people !

I know quite a lot of long term stay foreigners in Thailand who couldn't speak Thai properly beyond the numbers but they were not told to go back to their home country.

 

BTW, the native language in America is Red Indian speech and not English so who should go back?

As a 5th generation Texas, I offer my apologies to the owner and staff. Many native Texans occasional forget that their ancestors came to Texas as immigrants and not speaking the local language - Spanish. Even at the battle for Texas independence at San Jacinto, there were many Texas patriots that only spoke Spanish. And let's not forget the many Germans and Czechs that came to Texas in the 1800s, many of whose descendants still speak their native languages better than English. 

 

Texas is a land of immigrants. 

 

David

 

I wish the Thai owned restaurant owners would speak more Thai!  I love it here in San Diego where several of the places have Thai owners or workers and it is good to chat some Thai when I go there

Just now, gk10002000 said:

I wish the Thai owned restaurant owners would speak more Thai!  I love it here in San Diego where several of the places have Thai owners or workers and it is good to chat some Thai when I go there

Same with my favorite Thai restaurant in Austin, Texas. The owner and staff are all from northern Thailand. They get a good laugh when I talk to them in my  - very bad - Thai. 

 

David

 

The author is clearly off base. Should write "this is America, speak Spanish!" ????