GARDEN GROVE : English Translation Sign Law Faces Test
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An ordinance that would require English translations on commercial signs in other languages faces its final test Monday night before the City Council.
The ordinance, which was first approved by the city’s Planning Commission on Aug. 24, requires that all business signs in Garden Grove include English translations in Roman-style lettering in a size readable from the roadway or parking lot by police or firefighters responding to a call for aid.
Most directly affected would be the city’s Korean and Vietnamese business districts. Korean firms are located primarily in Koreatown, along Garden Grove Boulevard between Brookhurst Street and Beach Boulevard. Vietnamese firms are found mostly in the Little Saigon area along Bolsa Avenue that Garden Grove shares with Westminster, and on Westminster Avenue.
According to city officials, the ordinance doesn’t represent a significant change because most Asian-owned firms have voluntarily added English to their signs in an attempt to expand business.
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