Businesses in the heavily Asian city of Monterey Park, Calif., now must post their signs in English as well as in Chinese.
The requirement will help promote economic development and increase public safety, the City Council said in passing the change unanimously.
Businesses now must install at least one sign that uses the "modern Latin alphabet," KNBC-TV reports.
"Clear and simple signs are significant to the response times of both the police and fire departments. A distinguishable sign allows officers and firefighters to locate a business from a distance," the City Council said.
"Signs that are not distinguishable create unsafe road situations," the council said.
Monterey Park, 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, is 48 percent Chinese, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
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