Over reaction or justified anger?

There's an article on MSN today about a hotel owner who asked his Spanish speaking employees to speak only English around him and required that they use English versions of their names at work. Some employees have been fired, according to the owner, for insubordinate behavior. The Spanish speaking community in Taos is now protesting saying that it's racist to ask the employees to do these things. I have one question: How is what he's asking any different than calling a call center and getting a person with an obvious accent that answers and tells you his name is Mark, when you know for a fact that it isn't? Or telemarketing companies that use computer voice software instead of live people because their employees don't speak English as a first language? Honestly, I believe that if these practices are okay in one setting they are okay in any employment setting. If this owner is guilty of being a racist, aren't all companies that require the same types of things following racist policies?