Cyndie Chang

Paul Killion

May a city require that businesses use the Latin alphabet and Hindu-Arabic numerals on their commercial signs? Recently, the city of Monterey Park proposed this as a new ordinance. Although the proposal was initiated to update outdated ordinances on the city's books, it created racial tension and raised serious constitutional concerns. How the Monterey Park signage dispute was resolved provides valuable lessons for other cities in the Los Angeles area.

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