Hotel owner tells Hispanic workers to change names

Baack · Oct 26, 2009

TAOS, N.M. 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.
Click to expand...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091026/ap_on_re_us/us_trouble_in_taos

kajidono · Oct 26, 2009

Soooo....is the hotel doing better?

Baack · Oct 26, 2009

I have no problem with the Spanish Mexican culture inter mixing with ours
But when I am at a hotel I would appreciate if they would speak the language of the land while I am paying to stay there
Its only polite

As far as names go, I don't care
But it would come across better to the customer
And its not offensive to ask
Movie stars change there names all the time to be perceived and remember better by the public

If I go to work in a Mexican hotel I promise to speak the language of the land

Log in or Sign up

Forums

Find Trucking Jobs

Hotel owner tells Hispanic workers to change names

Baack Road Train Member

Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

Wait, employers can't reach you!

kajidono Road Train Member

Baack Road Train Member

Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

Wait, employers can't reach you!

Log in or Sign up

Useful Searches

Find Trucking Jobs

Hotel owner tells Hispanic workers to change names

Baack Road Train Member

Wait, employers can't reach you!

kajidono Road Train Member

Baack Road Train Member

Wait, employers can't reach you!