TAOS, N.M. (AP) - 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.

WHEN ARE THESE RACIST EVER GOING TO LEARN? I HOPE THE HOTEL WORKERS SUE HIS ASS INTO POVERTY!

:killem3: :killem4: :killem3: :killem4: :suicide2: :killem5: :killem3:

Racism? I see no evidence of that. Bigotry perhaps, though I realize you Dems don’t know the difference between the two. This is an English speaking country. His Hispanic workers should learn English, in much the same way that any of us would be expected (rightly) to learn Spanish if we immigrated to Mexico. That’s the way the world works RealDumb. :drunk3: Time to climb out of that basement and join the rest of us. :yup:

My only bitch about Larry Whitten is that he's not hiring American workers to do the job. :nope:

You don't know squat about beaners----- it's simple a mexican that is named Martinez, west of the Mississippi it's pronunced Mar-(teen)-ez.Esat of the Mississippi it's pronounced Martin-ez---like in Steve Martin. Now it's a simple matter of the motel manager getting his geography straight or the LULACS will correct him. Red Dawn?? Are you trying to make us ashamed most of us are white??? not gonna work...........

what a fucking douchebag :upside:

Hey Hairy-tic,

There is NO official language in this country. This racist felt he could take advantage of these poor, hard workers because of their ethnicity. :qwik mart:

One day soon this all will pass as racists and bigots are eliminated from this country.

:killem4: :killem5: :killem: :killem4: :killem5: :killem: :killem4: :killem5: :killem:

Surprisingly enough, the idiot actually brings up a valid point: English should be made the official language of the United States. Then these so-called ‘hard workers’ could get busy learning the language. Or go back home – their choice. :yup:

I’m still waiting to see your evidence that Whitten is a ‘racist’. He may very well be, but the story doesn’t seem to say one way or the other. Are you a mind reader too? :wacko2:

what a frickin hypocrit. One thing to stick up for Mexicans if you're not all mouth ( which Red Dawn is). Go out to any cabbage or lettuce patch in southern California and pick any Mexican you want.Tell him 'Hey Pablo, Hey Lupita, go take the day off, I'll pick your veggies for you and give you the money I make." So don't insinuate, we are racists you phoney bastard. Tu madre humpo los negros !! Comprende ? Moyates, no ??? Pinche gringo !!!!!!!!!!!