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News Column

Speak English, Change Hispanic Names, Hotel Owner Allegedly Orders Employees

Oct. 26, 2009

Joshua Molina--HispanicBusiness.com

Speak English, Change Hispanic Names, Hotel Owner Allegedly Orders Employees

A hotel owner in New Mexico is under fire for allegedly telling his employees not to speak Spanish in his presence, demanding that employees with Hispanic names make them more English sounding, and ultimately firing several employees.

Larry Whitten is feeling the sting of a community backlash, according to the Associated Press, after purchasing a hotel in Taos, New Mexico. Once word spread that Whitten had allegedly demanded the changes, the community, which is made up of mostly Hispanic residents became unglued.

"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 told AP.

Whitten, who has successfully turned other hotels around financially, said has been routine for him to change names if they are difficult to pronounce.

"I'm not doing it for any reason other than for the satisfaction of my guests, because people calling from all over America don't know the Spanish accents or the Spanish culture or Spanish anything," Whitten told AP.



Source: HispanicBusiness.com (c) 2009. All rights reserved.


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Comments

Total Comments: 5 | Pending Comments: 0

mywifeisachicana
10/29/2009 8:06:30 PM PST
the name of his hotel is The Whitten Inn

jesse@flaha.org
10/29/2009 3:31:34 PM PST
I was just in New Mexico and loved the people and the different cultures. I just want to know what the name of the hotel is. I don't want to make my reservations at that no name place. Thanks

mywifeisachicana
10/28/2009 12:16:21 PM PST
most tourists come here for something different, something a bit special, including caucasian Texans. In my 13 years here, I find the local hispanics as well as those immigrants from Mexico are no different than locals anywhere else....eager to be friendly and helpful, and proud of there homes, familys, and NAMES. I wish Mr. Whitten the best when he returns to wherever he came from, hopefully soon.

JoseAguilar
10/28/2009 11:48:45 AM PST
One expects the “Native American and Latino flavor” when traveling to communities like Taos. To change the names of people to suit you is no different then the bastardizing of immigrant names like once done at Ellis Island in the 1800/1900s. We all carry our family names with pride. I am a first generation Mexican/American with ties to Mexico and, by birthright, the United States. I’m also a military veteran. My friend, George Krauskopf is another first generation American veteran. I’m sure he appreciates my saying his name correctly as he does mine. Ignorance is defined as the condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed. We must eliminate ignorance by standing up, as the Taos community did, to stop this behavior before it continues to take root. José Luis Aguilar Hernandez

Jernlop
10/27/2009 3:17:29 PM PST
This "businessman" is not really a good one. He should expect that employees should reflect the community they live in. Of course there will be a lot of Pedros, Juanes, Carlos, Elvias, etc. That fact can even made the hotel more appealing to customers. What else you woud expect if you go to New Mexico and stay in a local hotel ? Would you expect German last names?. He has a really short sighted vision as in reallity everyone can win in a Diversity situation instead of creating an evironment of "What America used to be" and sorry but "it will never be" again.

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