Hotel owner tells Hispanic workers to Anglicize names

[babylonsister]

Hotel owner tells Hispanic workers to change names
Oct 26, 4:13 AM (ET)

By MELANIE DABOVICH


TAOS, N.M. (AP) - Larry Whitten marched into this northern New Mexico town in late July on a mission: resurrect a failing hotel.

The tough-talking former Marine immediately laid down some new rules. Among them, he forbade the Hispanic workers at the run-down, Southwestern adobe-style hotel from speaking Spanish in his presence (he thought they'd be talking about him), and ordered some to Anglicize their names.

No more Martin (Mahr-TEEN). It was plain-old Martin. No more Marcos. Now it would be Mark.

Whitten's management style had worked for him as he's turned around other distressed hotels he bought in recent years across the country.

The 63-year-old Texan, however, wasn't prepared for what followed.

His rules and his firing of several Hispanic employees angered his employees and many in this liberal enclave of 5,000 residents at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, where the most alternative of lifestyles can find a home and where Spanish language, culture and traditions have a long and revered history.

"I came into this landmine of Anglos versus Spanish versus Mexicans versus Indians versus everybody up here. I'm just doing what I've always done," he says.

Former workers, their relatives and some town residents picketed across the street from the hotel.

"I do feel he's a racist, but he's a racist out of ignorance. He doesn't know that what he's doing is wrong," says protester Juanito Burns Jr., who identified himself as prime minister of an activist group called Los Brown Berets de Nuevo Mexico.

more...
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091026/D9BILKEO1.html

[Robb]

1. LOL

The messages and comments he made in interviews with local media, including referring to townsfolk as "mountain people" and "potheads who escaped society," further enflamed tensions.

I've lived in Taos. It's New Mexico's answer to Telluride. He sort of nailed that one. :rofl:

[MrsBrady]

2. I once spent 3 weeks in Taos house sitting

while some friends were on tour. It was an amazing experience. It's beautiful in a way that is really unexplainable.

The Spanish and the Spanish language are definitely a part of the heart of this town.
Also the Mexican and other Central and South American peoples that live there...some of them new immigrants, many of them long time residents like the Whites.
(The Native indigenous peoples are there too, but their native language is not Spanish...but most speak English or Spanish or both, from what I understand.)

I don't see that this guy could last very long in that town with an attitude like that.
Why are you going to Taos if you don't want people to speak Spanish?
That's like going to Paris and not wanting them to speak French.

*face palm*