Monterey Park : Meeting on Sign Proposal
Expressing concerns about a proposal that would restrict the use of Chinese characters on business signs, the Chinese American Civil Rights and Education Foundation held a dinner meeting Monday to discuss the issue.
The City Council is scheduled to address the proposal at its Dec. 12 meeting.
Between 25 and 30 representatives from restaurants, retail businesses and trading companies attended the meeting, said Francis Hong, one of the founders of the organization that was formed 6 months ago.
“We feel the sign issue is more than a business issue,” said Hong, who operates a Monterey Park importing business. “It is an issue involving civil rights, language discrimination and free speech.”
Mayor Barry L. Hatch and Councilwoman Betty Couch have urged the city to adopt a sign law similar to one in Arcadia that requires two-thirds of a sign’s wording be in English. Monterey Park’s current law simply requires a sign to state, in English, the general nature of a business.
Hong described those attending the meeting as among the community’s “well-established business leaders.” Stewart Kwoh, executive director of the Asian Pacific Legal Center in Los Angeles, addressed the group on the legal implications of laws regarding business signs, Hong said.
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