Rights Group Joins Battle Over Library Action in Monterey Park

A constitutional rights organization Thursday joined in a legal battle over control of the library in Monterey Park, calling it a test case for racial tolerance.

The group, People for the American Way, charged that in ousting the library’s board last year the City Council was seeking to curb the number of foreign language books in the library.

“The reason we’re so troubled about this case is (that) it represents a rising trend of intolerance and racism involving citizens and immigrants to our country who do not speak English,” said Mary D. Nichols.

She is executive director of the Los Angeles office of the Washington-based group founded by television producer Norman Lear. The group believes that the council’s action is part of efforts across the country to make English the nation’s official language.

Acting on behalf of the former library board, lawyers for People for the American Way filed a memorandum in Los Angeles Superior Court in support of a motion seeking to reinstate the board.

Monterey Park Mayor Barry Hatch described the outsiders as being “like a lion that hasn’t eaten in six months. They’re full of hot air. The library is run exactly as it was before.”

The dispute started last year when the council, citing the desire to gain more financial accountability over the library, voted 3 to 2 to replace the board with a less-powerful advisory panel.

Asians and Latinos

Board members and the Friends of the Monterey Park Library, a volunteer support group, expressed fears that undue political influence was occurring and that the action was perhaps the first step toward restricting foreign-language materials.

The library, in a city with more than half its 62,000 residents of Asian ancestry and a third of Latino ancestry, has about 13,000 foreign language books.

The issue seemed to be settled last May when Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ricardo A. Torres ordered the council to reinstate the board.

But because the city has appealed the decision it is not required to comply, said Assistant City Solicitor Stephanie Scher.

The case has attracted interest beyond the boundaries of the San Gabriel community.

Law Firm to Help

Scher said the California League of Cities has expressed interest in helping to defend the council’s right to oust the board. On the other side, California’s chief librarian, Gary E. Strong, has praised the judge’s decision.

People for the American Way entered the fray after the attorney for the ousted library board asked for help. One of Los Angeles’ top law firms, O’Melveny & Myers, has agreed to help in the appeal free of charge.

A key point in their argument centers on statements made by Hatch at City Council meetings and in published articles. Hatch, who became mayor last month, is a vocal advocate of banning immigration into the United States for a year.

“Echoing the discredited rhetoric of another era, the city’s mayor warns of ‘hordes of invaders’ turning this country into a ‘Third World nation,’ and urges those who need foreign language books to buy their own land and erect their own libraries because the city will not ‘cater too much to foreign languages,’ ” according to a memorandum filed Thursday by O’Melveny & Myers.

Hatch said he has no problem with the library having foreign language books, but he believes the library should “not be generous to the point” of acquiring so many that “they intrude upon our American language” books.

Librarian Elizabeth Minter said she has felt no undue pressure from the council or Hatch about how she should run the library or select foreign language books.

Councilwoman Patricia Reichenberger said she resented being called a racist and that “for such a test case to be strewn across the United States when we are starting to get some cohesiveness here is disgusting.”