Store Names Must Be In English

New legislation introduced in both the Senate and Assembly would require storefront signage to be clearly visible and written in English, and would allow enforcement to come under the jurisdiction of the NYPD and the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Spurred by outcries from community organizations and emergency service personnel, the legislation, sponsored by Senator Frank Padavan and Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin, would enforce New York State’s General Business Law, which provides that each store owner must prominently display, in English, the name of the establishment, the address, and/or the name(s) of the proprietors.
“I feel very strongly that the signage, whatever the language, should include English, not only from the standpoint that we are an English-speaking country, but from an emergency standpoint as well,” said Art Viviani, president of the Broadway/Flushing Homeowners Association, Inc.
Citing areas of concern such as Union Street and Northern Boulevard from 155th Street eastward, Viviani continued, “I don’t mind businesses catering to specific cultures, but we have to know what’s there and what it is.”
“Most of the people speak Chinese,” said Lucy He, a cashier at Primacare Pharmacy on Main Street in Flushing. She said that businesses should be allowed to have signage without English translations.
Under the state General Business Law, the business “… shall cause the true, full name … legibly displayed in the English language either upon a window of such shop, store or other establishment or place where a service is performed or upon a sign conspicuously placed upon the exterior of the building containing the same … failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall constitute a misdemeanor.”
That unclassified misdemeanor charge would be accompanied by fines of up to $1,000.
“Clear, understandable storefront signage is an important aspect of a community,” Padavan said. “Its importance is evident to businesses as a way for patrons to clearly identify businesses, serving as an invitation for consumers, building on the community’s economic value.
“We are in the U.S. and we have to adapt,” said Eduardo Giraldo, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “I agree that signs have to be in English. If they are not, they lead to a sense of alienation.”
However, clear signage is even more important with regard to safety.
Clear, universally understood storefront signage helps firemen, police and EMS by providing important information, helping them respond in a more efficient and speedy manner.
The legislation would make violations of the sign law enforceable as a “deceptive trade practice,” not only by the Police Department, but also by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.
Currently, only police departments are authorized to enforce the signage law. The Padavan/McLaughlin legislation would furnish Consumer Affairs the authority to enforce the current law, providing an important tool that will help ensure compliance by adding additional enforcement.
“I say it’s okay,” said Peter Koo, president of the Chinese Business Association, member of Community Board 7 and owner of Starside Drugs.
“Firemen and police have to know locations. Nearly 99 percent of signs in Flushing have English anyway.”
Koo, however, does feel that the penalties for non-compliance are too harsh. “They [store owners] should be given a warning first so that they have time to put English signs up.”