Theme 3#

Bilingual signs:

Fordham road has a lot of diverse cultures, primarily blacks and hispanics. because of this, a lot of signs in the area are bilingual signs. bilingual signs is a smart way for sellers to build their credibility because lots of people are foreign, some barely speak or understand English. they would be losing a lot of profit if the signs aren’t bilingual.

Figure 7 & 8.

These two images were taken from the same exact place, just two traffic lights away from each other. These businesses are very similar, they both focus on money services such as phone bills, EZ-passes, money orders, etc. The 2 languages seen in these pictures are English and Spanish. The choice of language shows that the community is filled with the hispanic culture. Businesses like these have involve strictly money has to have bilingual signs for maximal profit since Fordham has a lot of minority. this reflects back to my Fordham roads demographics graph showing that 72% of the population are hispanics.

Figure 9.

This photo shows a storefront for Cohen’s Fashion Optical on Fordham Road. The sign includes information in both English and Spanish, such as:

• “We Accept Most Insurances” / “Aceptamos la mayoría de los seguros”

• “Eye Exam” / “Examen de la vista”

The use of bilingual signs is very important on Fordham Road because the area has a large Spanish-speaking population. Including Spanish makes the services more accessible and welcoming to the local community. It helps businesses connect with more customers, especially those who may not speak fluent English, and shows cultural awareness and care for their customers. This highlights Fordham road is a diverse and caring neighborhood. Businesses try to include and serve everyone in the neighborhood.

Figure 10.

This photo shows Madelinne Beauty Salon on Fordham Road. The sign use both English (“Hair & Nails,” “Beauty Salon”) and Spanish (“Lavado de pelo,” “Corte y estilo”), making the business easy to understand for both English and Spanish speakers.

Bilingual signs make people feel welcomed and understood. in this case, the sign being in both English and Spanish portrays that they want minority women to feel safe and comfortable. Self-care is extremely important, so having a sign in Spanish helps nun English speaking feel comfortable within their own body. it allows a chunk of people to express their beauty instead of concealing it because they can’t understand a language. For the business: It helps attract more customers, builds trust, and shows the business cares about serving everyone in the neighborhood.