It seems some folk are unhappy with Flushing. In the Daily News, Lion Calandra writes:
After dinner, a friend and I strolled up 37th Ave. As we peeked into store windows, I realized that I couldn’t identify any of the businesses. Travel agent? Real estate? Dentist? Card store? One shop seemed to sell housewares, but every sign in the front window was written in Korean. Or was it Chinese?
Sure, business owners can have signs in any language they choose, but why would they want to shut out a huge section of their potential customer base?
Aside from being exclusionary, it’s bad economics. Offering signs only in Korean fosters a closed culture; it says, in essence, that “If you can’t read this, you can’t shop here.” That’s wrong. That’s un-American.
He concludes:
By putting their signs only in their native language, the merchants are saying to me that they don’t want my business. They don’t want to entertain the idea that someone who doesn’t speak their language would spend money to purchase their merchandise or use their services.
So, I’ve decided to give them what they want. I’m spending my money where it’s welcome.
It’s too bad, really, because I do love Flushing. And I really did enjoy those soup dumplings.
Several people responded to Calandra’s piece — I wasn’t entirely impressed by any of them. This, by a one Adrienne Leslie, was particularly retarded:
It seems like Lion Calandra likes everything about Flushing except its people. Her article was permeated with that subtle racism most New Yorkers can readily detect. I’m sorry if Flushing is less like its former Dutch town Vlissingen and more like the bustling streets of Itaewan but that how America grows.
Sorry, Adrienne, but I’d imagine Flushing is nothing like Itaewon — unlike Flushing, apparently, you see a lot of non-Koreans and English in Itaewon.
I haven’t lived in the States for over a decade now, so I really don’t know what the situation is. Having prefaced my opinion thusly, I will say that, frankly, if a particular community wants to put up signs in Korean, Spanish, Tuvan, Vulcan or whatever, that’s fine with me. Adds character to the city. I’m not sure if putting up signs ONLY in Korean is such a smart thing, business-wise, but I’m sure the shopkeepers have taken that into consideration. If they’re doing OK with Korean signs only, that’s really all that needs to be said.
(HT to reader)
53 Comments
I remember buying a Coke™ in a Korean grocery on West 35th street in Manhattan, and the [old] shopkeeper couldn’t muster enough English skills to say the price in English…
Why is it so bad to suggest that advertising/signs in a given country have, at least in part, words written in that country’s official language?
Except of course the US of A have no official language, alas…
“Except of course the US of A have no official language, alas…”
It’s about time it gets one…
I especially liked the response of Mike Heoh:
He then proceeded to give examples of Korean Americans who have made significant contributions and he says are “working to better the relations and integration of Koreans into American society.”
One of those he name-drops: Sandra Oh. Canadian.
Cue the “To me this showed a lack of focus in your thoughts, rendering your informative piece of writing into a glorified rant,” particularly because Oh has been quoted bashing America on several occasions, which would be quite the opposite of working to better the relations and integration of Koreans into American society.
Very interesting and stupid article… I actually live 10 min. drive from Flushing and visit there very so often. Most signs have English translation, for example, san soo gap san restaurant, Koryo bakery, Kim and Chan law office etc… I do not like the picture in the article. The picture in question is the building that’s located in union street (one block away from the main street). If the camera man just zoom out little, you will see that there are many signs with English translation that surrounds the Korean only signs that you see in the article.
I think that signs with translation outnumber the signs with Korean or Chinese only, so there is no reason to bitch… And if non Chinese or non Korean wants to know what the business is selling, all he/she have to do is look through the transparent glass wall.
Also, it’s kinda off topic but many Korean businesses are moving out of Flushing for some odd reason and more and more Chinese businesses are opening up. I wonder why Korean business owners are leaving Flushing…
Well okay, this is of course possible, but may I point out that some European countries (e.g. Belgium) have very clear and unequivocal laws regarding the languages which may be used for advertising purposes…
Like kimchi says, babel fish-like English translations are available, although in smaller font. Perhaps a law requiring equal font size is in order.
Anyway, like kimchi2000 says, the Koreans are losing ground progressively to the Chinese.
The local talk among Koreans is that the Chinese work together and buy up whole buildings, but the Koreans are busy competing against each other, via tactics like Naeng Myun A vs Naeng Myun B.
I don’t really believe it.
Go to Manhatten and you’ll find plenty of Japanese restaurants selling the same stuff, all huddled up next to each other. It’s great.
I mean, this is what a Koreatown is supposed to be. Similar businesses all huddled up in one spot.
If you can’t find a profit, don’t make others miserable by jumping into the same business. For heaven’s sake, sell something else.
Deliver mail. Drive a taxi. Do the other grunt work of a first generation immigrant. Make sure your kid studies his ass off so he doesn’t have to do that crap.
Many Koreans also relocate to Bergen County of New Jersey and participate in a sort of price fix. This price is set higher than Queens. This price is free from Chinese competition. I would almost call it illegal, or at least immoral.
Well, it’s only a couple bucks.
You’ll figure out easily that food, hair cutting, etc are bounced up about $1 to $5.
wjk, I think Flushing will be the first Chinatown in Queens and it will probably happen in next 10 or 15 years. Although Koreans are moving out of Flushing they are still well represented in NJ like Forte Lee and Palisade Park. Actually Flushing used to have fair share of Japanese business owner before Koreans drove them out. Now, Koreans are tasting their own medicine…
Fantasy, I don’t think teh US will ever be like Belgium, if the US tries to pass that type of law, the media and bunch of ACLU type lawyers will go nuts and fight it like their life depends on it… But then again, I thought American politicians, lawyers and media would fight against Guantanamo Bay-type prisons like their life depended on it… So you never know…
The same debate pops up in Sydney occasionally:
http://www.news.com.au/dailyte.....20,00.html
Off-topic, but this gave me a laugh today:
“No particular reason we chose Canada,” said Taylor. “We just thought they’d be a country who the cops wouldn’t scrutinize too closely”
http://www.smh.com.au/news/ape.....78804.html
Nyes… These countries also have official languages — three in the case of België. I am not sure this is something the US is ready for. OTOH, check out California’s DMV and their multi-lingual manuals [Korean included!].
I don’t think we need any laws mandating what languages must be on signs; if the owner loses out of the broader (and in this case likely not as interested) market to focus on his niche (ethnic) market, so be it, it’s still a free country.
Hey, dda,
You are the first Frenchman whom I’ve EVER seen to refer to Belgium by its Dutch/Flemish name (and very reasonably so, as this is the language of the majority of the population there). The other 62 or so millions of French people have, much to my chagrin, never heard of anything else but French being spoken in that country.
Miracles happen…
“I don’t think we need any laws mandating what languages must be on signs; if the owner loses out of the broader (and in this case likely not as interested) market to focus on his niche (ethnic) market, so be it, it’s still a free country.”
I do not think it is this easy. In parts of Southern Florida, Southern New Mexico and Southern California Spanish has, in effect, become the dominant language and it has therefore become bloody difficult to live there for those who do not master it. I myself do not, but have a good knowledge of French, thus could read most of what was written…
I have Flemish blood, used to live 5km from the Belgian border, and know Belgium quite well. I also happen to speak — to various levels of proficiency — all three official languages of that little kingdom…
Oh, and my family name is Spanish, which, in a way, is fitting
I’m going to have to go with the “so what’s the problem” crowd on this one. It would make more sense if your goal is making money to offer your services to as many as possible, but maybe these people’s purpose isn’t to make money. But as long as they don’t directly turn customers away, there is really no legal problem with it. If you don’t like it, don’t shop there (they probably don’t want you anyways), the market will take care of it from there.
It’s a free market. If they don’t want non-Korean speaking customers, then don’t shop there.
Okay, I just got back from NYC and hung out in Koreatown for 3 nights with my korean friends. Yes, signs are written in Korean, but most have english too. Yes, there are many unmarked bars in koreatown, like korea. You have to go up some elevator to the 3rd floor to get to some expensive bar. But that’s just how koreans roll.
However, every place you go to, they speak english. I mean, the girls who are waitresses in the bars and restaurants are from NY, duh! If you’re intimidated by korean or how she says, chinese signs, then don’t go. She acts as if she owns it and now it’s not how she wanted it to be.
Whatever
I wrote a rather lengthy response to Calandra on Monday. Btw Rob, Calandra’s a she, not a he. Some of the major points in my response was that the Korean community in Flushing (and the U.S. in general) is essentially a 1st generation immigrant society, meaning that they will, for the present time at least, focus on small businesses and cater to mostly their own ethnicity. If one fairly takes this into account, it’s only natural to expect the signs to be majority Korean language.
I also remind her that the Jews (as well as other Euro immigrants) were no different when they first came to America at the turn of the 19th century and they too were insular and put up their storefonts in majority Hebrew and Yiddish script (Calandra is Jewish-American). I also told her that it is irresponsible journalism to not consider the cultural and historical context before she shot from the hip like that.
I too thought that the responses were lame, PARTICULARLY Mike Heoh’s. What can you expect? He is a “product of New York City’s great public school system”
I love this one: “I am a second-generation Korean-American who has lived in Flushing for the last 22 years. I emigrated to the U.S. when I was just 5 years old”
Errrr… not being born in the states would technically make you a FIRST generation immigrant.
“…achieving a 740 score on the verbal section of the SAT…”
Damn the College Board for recentering that test… it’s created inflated scores! That and the SAT is just too darn easy to coach.
Oh, and regarding any laws to restrict the amount of non-English words used in a store sign. Proposals for that law always come up and are sometimes passed by a city or state legislature. Usually struck down in higher courts because of that pesky thingy. What do they call it? Oh yeah, the 1st Amendment.
So, I’ve decided to give them what they want. I’m spending my money where it’s welcome.
It’s too bad, really, because I do love Flushing. And I really did enjoy those soup dumplings.
Did the dumpling restaurant she visited not have signs in English? Is she punishing one business because she doesn’t like what some other businesses are doing?
Lastly,
At least Flushing isn’t signs on steroids like it is in Korea.
I love this picture at GI Korea…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/6.....506144030/
I wonder if staring at THAT for a few minutes would burn the image into your retinas?
“Flushing used to have fair share of Japanese business owner before Koreans drove them out. Now, Koreans are tasting their own medicine…”
That’s how it always has been. Newer arrivals drive out the older. The older arrivals move up and integrate. I’ve been to Flushing and I mostly saw Korean and English signs. Unless things have changed since few years ago, I really don’t know what the complaint is about.
Besides that, even if Calandra doesn’t want to go to Flushing because of all the Korean signage, isn’t it possible there are people — oh, I don’t know, tourists from the Midwest perhaps? — who are attracted to visit an area because of all the Korean signage?
dda, Spanish surname? Shades of Koos de la Rey! Must be some holdovers from the Tachtigjaaren Orloog (didn’t spellcheck that). You’d enjoy Arturo Perez-Reverte’s “El Sol de Breda” in his Capitan Alatriste series, set in that war.
Fantasy. Yes, everything in the U.S. would be better if everyone spoke only English. Or, to quote John Wayne in the undubbed and original version of Stagecoach (1939): “Perdoname Senora, donde esta el Senor Enrique?” And he had no trouble understanding the response, which would have been the case with any 1880s New Mexico cowhand.
My two cents: Hey, asking for a maekju in Korean got me a discounted Hite beer in a Garden Grove (Cali) noraebang a few years ago. For better or worse, we are the center of the world, and it’s all those who trekked to our shores and set up little businesses in neighborhoods exactly like those described who made us that way. May their descendants multiply, cross-breed, and prosper!
It’s sort of obvious to know what services the shop offers just by looking at it….
I mean, if you see a shop with a lot of goods on shelves and freezers, obviously it’s going to be a grocery store. If you can see that the shop has a lot of tables with cutlery, again, it’s obvious that the place is a restaurant.
It’s not that hard.
So, next week I take it the Daily News will have someone in another borough, complaining about signs with Cyrillic lettering?
No my dear Sir, I said my family name, which isn’t disclosed here…
Ouch! (sharp rapier point penetrates buttocks). Yes, family name. My fingers were working faster than my brain. Still, the reference to De la Rey must have hit home. I read somewhere that “DeGaulle” was originally “Dewaal”, but they decided to frenchify it. My “stage” at Pau included a Nguyen, Perez, Jimenez, and Wagner, all 100% French. (Not to mention that one of the main streets in town is Ave. Poniatowski, if memory serves.) Just goes to show that “we” (chest out, martial band thumping “Yankee Doodle Dandy”) were not always the center of the world. Until very recently, others rightfully held that title.
I agree with comments 6, 8, 20, and 21.
I am reminded of a old Henny Youngman one-liner:
“Whaddya think of Flushing, New York…I think it’s a pretty good idea.”
I call BS on this young lady’s article.
“Travel agent? Real estate? Dentist? Card store”
Was she going all the way to 34th street to book travel before the sign changes?
Was she going to real estate agents on 34th street before the sign changes?
Was she going to the card store on 34th street before the sign changes?
I’d guess no to all three. The Korean shop owners are not losing her business because they never had it. This woman can whine and moan all she likes–she doesn’t have any influence, economic or otherwise.
“dda, Spanish surname?”
“No my dear Sir, I said my family name, which isn’t disclosed here…”
Blame it on my not being a native speaker of English, but could someone maybe enlighten me on the difference between “surname” and “family name”. In the 33 years that I have used English as my primary communication tool (i.e. ever since my adoptive family moved from Germany to Hong Kong in 1974 when I was 9 years old) I have invariably regarded the two terms as synonymous. May have been wrong in doing that…
#35: Surname = Family Name. I think someone may have confused “surname” with “given name.”
#21:
“I love this one: “I am a second-generation Korean-American who has lived in Flushing for the last 22 years. I emigrated to the U.S. when I was just 5 years old”
Errrr… not being born in the states would technically make you a FIRST generation immigrant.”
Well, okay, Wang Kong, I see your point here, and TECHNICALLY you are of course right. But I Must say that I find it highly objectionable to categorise (British spelling, not a mistake!) those who came to the US prior to their 10th birthday as actual immigrants instead of as “second-generation Americans” ON CONDITION THAT THEY ACQUIRE US CITIZENSHIP AT THEIR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE…
I myself came to Germany as an adoptee at the age of one, and left the country again, together with my adoptive family, at the age of 9, to return not before a full 30 years (!) had passed. Nevertheless I insist on being regarded a “native” of Germany - and for this I have the unequivocal backing of German law (which, in my view rightly, does not attach much significance to a person’s place of birth).
#27:
“Fantasy. Yes, everything in the U.S. would be better if everyone spoke only English. Or, to quote John Wayne in the undubbed and original version of Stagecoach (1939): “Perdoname Senora, donde esta el Senor Enrique?” And he had no trouble understanding the response, which would have been the case with any 1880s New Mexico cowhand.”
Lirelou,
Yes, I am well aware of the fact that most of what is now the Western US used to be Mexican territory prior to 1848. Although I’ve got some legal training (in fact a British JD-equivalent + a Canadian LLM) I do in no way intend to take it upon myself to utter an opinion on the highly disputed question whether the incorporation of this area into the US was lawful at that time or not.
Nevertheless, if I were an Anglophone US citizen resident there now in the year 2007 I would invest time and money into getting English written into the constitution as the only official language of the US. Because otherwise there will be no future for monolingual Anglophones in this area any more…
#17:
dda,
Nice meeting you, as there seem to be some striking similarities in our lives. I also live within walking distance of the Belgian border, as well, but not on the Belgian border with France but instead on the Belgian border with Germany. Just as yourself, I am also reasonably fluent in the three national languages of Belgium (although admittedly my Dutch/Flemish is not quite as good as it should be, given my geographic proximity to the language area where it is spoken).
“Just goes to show that “we” (chest out, martial band thumping “Yankee Doodle Dandy”) were not always the center of the world. Until very recently, others rightfully held that title.”
That’s absolutely correct - my home country of Germany was a strong contender between 1871 and 1918 - and again from 1933 thru 1945. Luckily these times are over, hopefully never to return…
This is a very relevant piece to me, since I live 10 minutes from Flushing and I go there all the time to hang out.
I’ve actually had this conversation several times with friends, and there were plenty of different views.
One typical example, is in East Flushing, by the Broadway LIRR Train Station, where there was a HUGE Helio (SK Telecom) billboard with large korean words and not a word of English on the ad. This brought a lot of complaints from around the community, and eventually it was taken down and replaced by.. you guessed it, another helio ad with smaller korean letters but still not a single word of english on it.
I must agree, it is NOT smart economically, they are shunning a large customer base by neglecting to put English on their store awnings or signs.
There is also an issue of assimilation here, as “Americans” would look down upon such an ethnic enclave as a group of ethnics refusing to assimilate into American society and culture.
From my understanding, the only knock against the Korean ethnics here is that they are not assimilating into American society while reaping the benefits of the country (economic, political, religious, whatever benefits the US has to offer).
It is also important to look at this situation from the view of the Korean storeowners. Most of them are first generation immigrants, and it is not only comfortable for them to deal with an “only Korean-speaking” client base, but it is difficult for them to deal with English speaking clients, and they have to go out of their way to hire English speaking employees.
Many storeowners make more than enough money and are living comfortably while doing business with only Koreans, so they probably do not feel the necessity to expand their services to the outside community.
What the outside community probably DOESNT know is that many of these businesses WANT to stay small, not because they don’t like money, but because they can either evade taxes or run a thriving 100k a year business with only 2-3 paid employees. Put yourself in the storeowners’s position: If you cannot speak English, and you can make a more than comfortable living speaking your native language, why bother?
I guess there can be a lot of dislike for the Korean community because they are so exclusive in such a diverse country, and maybe I am sympathizing because most of these storeowners are around the age group of my parents, but I do not really see the big problem here. If they don’t like to see a Korean based community, then don’t go there. Same with Main Street Flushing and Manhattan’s Chinatown; if you don’t like to see store after store of Chinese retaurants and businesses without a single word of English, don’t go there. DUH?
#6:
If anything, Korean businesses are moving eastward in Queens, from Flushing to East Flushing, Bayside, Douglason, Little Neck areas. If you recall, Main Street and Union used to be packed with Korean stores, but Main street is just about purely Chinese, Union still has a good number of Korean businesses, but it is further east in Flushing and western Bayside where the Korean businesses are moving to. And like previous posters have said, NJ has a huge population of Koreans as well.
Davelee,
I think the problems with Korean immigrants (in Flushing or elsewhere) are really negligible in this respect - nevertheless the US urgently needs a national language, so as to prevent English from being marginalised (no mistake - British spelling) in extensive areas in the south-west and the south-east of the country.
Not all Americans may be aware of it, but it is really most difficult to live in an area (even if it is an area of your own country) without mastering the language of the majority population. Therefore you should learn from the Belgians - define which languages are supposed to be used in the whole or in parts of your country…
BTW:
Did anybody here know that Flushing has been named after the Dutch town of Vlissingen (in the Dutch area of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen) ? And no, I am not suggesting that Dutch should be recognised as an official language there or elsewhere in the US…
Fantasy:
While your proposal does make sense, it makes less sense for the United States to require a national language. Freedom of speech and expression is what defines and makes the United States, and I am sure such a law would never get passed.
In a diverse country such as the US, it is illogical and almost ignorant for English speaking monolingual citizens to expect such a law.
Not to say that the Korean speaking or any other language speaking monolingual residents are rightful in their own ways, but freedom of speech and expression is what the country was founded on, and breaking such a foundation is probably not going to happen.
Fantasy,
As I’ve said in before, all laws regarding an official national language do not get past constitutional considerations, namely that ole pesky 1st Amendment, which guarantees your right to say what you want in any darn language. The day you can convince 5 old men and the occasional women that sit in the Supreme Court not to interpret the 1st Amendment in such a matter then you have a chance. For me? I just don’t see it happening.
Oh, and on #17. I wasn’t trying to be a smart ass. I was just disappointed that the main Korean American response to the article was just sooooo badly written and was venting my frustration.
Anyone who insists that Korean, as well as Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Yiddish, Hindi, Italian, Polish or Greek store signs do not belong in NYC, the Great Babylon of the Empire State, are wrong. They themselves do not belong in New York City.
He is a “product of New York City’s great public school system”
Hey now.
Most Koreans I know run delis, dry-cleaners, groceries… All targeting the “broader” market. In Flushing however… Lots of people straight from Korea who have no idea how to do business with non-Koreans.
I saw a “bold” (foolish) Korean man open up a Korean bakery in Syosset. (Marm, you know that area? A bit different from 10 years ago, but Korean businesses going in). He was expecting to sell red bean pastry to the general American market in Syosset. I knew he would close down, and sure enough, he did.
People like this stay in Flushing and just target other Koreans who run dry-cleaners, groceries etc. I personally think they are doing non-Koreans a favor by putting up all Korean signs. It’s probably better they stay away from these businesses rather then going into a Korean video store and discovering there is nothing he wants to rent. Or going to a Korean “bar” and discovering that people don’t socialize with strangers in Korean bars. Or if you are black, would you trust a Korean hair-dresser? You shouldn’t really.
@#44:
There is a common misconception that making one language official is the same as banning the use of other languages. Obviously, that is not the case. Korea and China, like most sovereign countries, have official languages, yet that never stopped me from speaking English or some other non-official language in the public space. Thirty states have passed laws recognizing English as the official language, and apparently those “five old men and occasional women (sic)” haven’t seen fit to strike down these laws. I believe there are local ordinances in some parts of the US mandating English only for official non-emergency government business. Folks who support an amendment delcaring English as the official language tend to support English only laws, too, but legally speaking, these laws are distinct.
In fact, my state’s English statute reads as follows (boldface mine):
Official Language Law of Virginia (2006):
CODE OF VIRGINIA,
CHAPTER 829 (1996)
CHAPTER 7. OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
§7.1-42. English designated the official language of the Commonwealth.
English shall be designated as the official language of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Except as provided by law, no state agency or local government shall be required to provide and no state agency or local government shall be prohibited from providing any documents, information, literature or other written materials in any language other than English.
§22.1-212.1. Obligations of school boards.
Pursuant to §7.1-42, school boards shall have no obligation to teach the standard curriculum, except courses in foreign languages, in a language other than English. School boards shall endeavor to provide instruction in the English language which shall be designed to promote the education of students for whom English is a second language.
In other words, English is required. Use of other languages is optional unless prohibited by local ordinance. The second clause, for schools, simply makes bilingual education an option, not a requirement, and encourages using English as the medium of instruction. Some states like Illinois, where I used to teach, require schools to offer bilingual instruction if there are 20+ LEP students sharing a common native language in one school. This is a HUGE hiring burden for schools. It’s hard enough finding highly qualified teachers of ESL, math, and science without the additional burden of bilingual certification and fluency in the right language.
Looking at that boldface text again, I realize that “Except as provided by law,” also refers to federal, state, and local statutes requiring documents and services in languages other than English, for example, voting ballots and driver license exams.
Sonagi, good points. English should be the language of government, but many who support “English Only” seem to vent most of their anger against those who speak other languages in public. As for bilingual eduation, I was once approached by a group of Hispanics who wanted to sue to STOP bilingual education in their district. Their rationale: Bilingual education would hold back their children from acquiring the English skills necessary to rise up in the U.S. system. Unable to take on a class action suit so early in my attempted career, I referred them to a legal aid office in Boston, who REFUSED to take their case based upon political considerations. (Those in the clinic supported bilingual education.) Just because these immigrants (primarily from South American countries) communicated mostly in Spanish did not mean that they wanted their children to be unilingual. As one woman in the group told me: Teaching them Spanish is my job. Teaching them good English is the School’s responsibility.
“English should be the language of government, but many who support “English Only” seem to vent most of their anger against those who speak other languages in public. “
You are right, Lirelou. That is why I wrote, “Folks who support an amendment declaring English as the official language tend to support English only laws, too, but legally speaking, these laws are distinct.”
You are also right that bilingual education is highly politicized and that educators are more ardent supporters than parents themselves. Right from the college of education, teachers are indoctrinated with research demonstrating that bilingual ed is a better delivery model than alternatives like immersion. Many authors of these studies are longtime vocal advocates of bilingual ed, which makes me suspicious that the studies have been manipulated to prove the superiority of bilingual ed over pullout ESL and inclusion. Best practices in education means being flexible with delivery models, and there is no one instructional model that is best for everyone.
Not requiring the primary use of the “native” language sounds pretty damn liberal to me.How do we remain terrorist killing conservatives(the only way to be) and allow such “freedom of speech”?
Now it is official:
German-French bilingualism which was supposed to be forced onto an entire region in south-western Germany by the over-zealous Ministry of Culture of the German province of Baden-Württemberg has officially been shelved, in the wake of a judgment of the German Constitutional Court questioning the legality of the move.
Sorry, link in German, but the map might be of interest to those of you who are familiar with European geography:
http://www.spiegel.de/schulspi.....72,00.html
Here a very succinct description of the strained relations between the various linguistic communities in Belgium (sorry, link in French only) and their efforts (respectively the lack thereof) to overcome this most akward constellation:
http://regards.ires.ucl.ac.be/Archives/RE042.pdf