Hotel owner tells Hispanic workers to change names
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
To read more, visit
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_trouble_in_taos
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My thoughts:
The biggest problem I have with Larry Whitten is his unwillingness to change or adjust himself. From the article it is apparent he is stirring up controversy because of his management style that is forcing people to change a significant part of who they are, whether it be his/her name or the language he/she speaks. In the article, it says that Whitten had moved from Texas after living there for 24 years amongst many Spanish-speakers. You would think that by then, he might have caught onto some of the language and perhaps even made some attempts to learn it whether it be for improved personal or business value. Instead, Whitten moves to a further heavily-Spanish populated area attempting to change everyone else around him. The quote about Whitten being “racist out of ignorance” is very true in this case. Whether he means it or not, Whitten is being unfair to his employees and ultimately, one can’t help but wonder how much these demands for employee transformation will help in his business in the end. Mr. Whitten, I say it’s time for an updated management style.
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A visual journalist learning about the world around me one day at a time. Here's the candy I've spied.
