San Gabriel : Chinese Signs Targeted
The City Council is considering a measure requiring 75% of the messages written on business signs in the city to use the Roman alphabet or Arabic numbers--that is, the characters used in modern English--rather than characters used in some languages. City Atty. Graham Ritchie has advised that the ordinance, proposed by Councilman Sabino Cici, could run into legal problems.
“He (Ritchie) has said that you can’t discriminate as far as language is concerned,” said City Manager Robert Clute. The ordinance would have the practical effect of limiting the kinds of signs used by San Gabriel’s growing Chinese business community.
“There are also some logistical problems, no question about it,” said Clute. He cited particularly the difficulty of calculating the percentages of characters used on a sign.
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