Monterey Park Drops English-Letter Sign Ordinance

MONTEREY PARK (AP) — A Los Angeles suburb with a large Asian immigrant population has dropped a proposal that storefront signs contain letters used in English.

The Los Angeles Times says the Monterey Park City Council on Wednesday allowed the proposed ordinance to be dropped after a four-hour discussion.

The council earlier this year decided to require signs to have some "modern Latin lettering" in addition to Chinese characters. It would have replaced an older law — since scrapped — requiring English words and letters on signs.

Supporters argued that would help police and firefighters respond to locations more quickly — although many signs already are bilingual.

The proposal sparked an outcry. Critics were concerned about the divisive impact on a community that is about 70 percent Asian.

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