Why This Migrant Councillor Pushed to Mandate English on Local Signage

Councillor Esther Kim of Strathfield Council in Sydney’s west. Courtesy of Strathfield City CouncilA migrant councillor says the English-language is the common thread that binds Australia’s multicultural communities after becoming “embarrassed” by non-English federal government signage.Esther Kim of Strathfield City Council is a Korean migrant to Australia who pushed a successful vote to strengthen rules requiring English be displayed on local business signage.Strathfield is one of scores of multicultural enclaves in Sydney, like Hurstville, Chatswood, and Cabramatta, where streets of small businesses cater almost entirely to ethnic minorities.The Liberal Party-aligned councillor Kim successfully presented the motion at the Strathfield Council’s July 28 ordinary meeting calling for English to be clearly and prominently displayed on multilingual business signage.The motion recognises English as Australia’s common language and calls on state and federal governments to adopt similar signage standards.Kim told The Epoch Times her motion was driven by a desire to ensure multiculturalism remained fair.“When I saw public information and advertising by the Australian federal government displayed only in a language other than English, it made me so embarrassed,” she said.“What information is that? Why has only one community language been used?“[Members of] the public who want information and be served should have an opportunity to understand what services they can get, what food they can choose, or what ingredients are in it.”According to the 2021 Census, about 21.4 percent of Strathfield residents reported having Chinese ancestry, while 11 percent said they had Indian, compared to 8.2 percent of Australian, and 6.9 percent of Nepalese.While Kim strongly values multiculturalism, she said it requires a “common foundation” which allows all people to communicate with each other.“Diversity should bring us together, rather than unintentionally creating separate communities that communicate only within themselves,” she said.The councillor, who clarified her views were her own and not those of the council, said her motion was not about stopping business owners using their own languages on signs.“What I am proposing is simply that English should also be clearly visible so that information is accessible to the wider community,” she said.“For me, this is about communication, inclusion, and social cohesion—not exclusion.”For Kim, a successful multicultural society celebrates cultural differences while maintaining a common link as Australians through a shared language.“I felt that local government was a good place to start that conversation and establish a sensible and balanced approach,” she said.Kim’s motion was seconded by Deputy Mayor Sandy Reddy, with Councillors Matthew Blackmore and John-Paul Baladi also voting in favour.Mayor Benjamin Cai and Councillor Rory Nosworthy opposed the motion.