County Survey Gives Comprehensive Look at Latino Community

A large portion of Orange County’s Latino families is living in poverty--averaging $15,800 a year for a family of five--and is “strongly entrenched” in a culture that resists assimilation.

These are among the findings in a new survey that county officials say is one of the most comprehensive looks ever at the Latino community here.

The survey of 600 families, prepared for the Orange County Transit District, points up Latinos’ heavy dependence on the bus system, far more than any other segment of the community. But it also presents a look at a minority community that makes up nearly 20% of one of the most affluent regions of California.

The average household income among Latinos is less than half the county average, though the average Latino family has 2.26 wage earners and has lived in Orange County more than 10 years.

Even so, the survey by Kenneth L. Barasch & Associates found that “most are strongly entrenched as ‘Hispanics’ as opposed to ‘Americans’ and are not desirous of assimilating.”

In a key departure from findings of OCTD’s 1982 survey, 66% referred to themselves as “Mexicans.” Only a few preferred “Hispanic,” “Chicano” or “Latin American.”

“I have no conclusion for it. It was just a major difference from what we learned in 1982,” Kenneth Barasch said. “There has been a considerable blending of Hispanic culture into Southern California life styles, for example, in their desire to have a car. But at the same time, the Hispanics have retained an extremely high desire to retain their language.”

Gloria Craig, chairwoman of the Santa Ana chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said Mexicans have begun to resist being lumped together with other Latin American immigrants.

“We all speak Spanish, but we do have different problems. The Mexicans have different problems from the people of El Salvador, so they’re making the distinction,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful idea about all of us being Americans,” she added. “But even now, there is a lot of discrimination. It’s been in such subtle ways that people are now saying that ‘yes, I am a Mexican, and yes, I am here. You’re not ready to accept me, so now I want my own identity.’ ”

Nativo Lopez, head of the activist Hermandad Mexicana Nacional organization, said: “ ‘Hispanic’ is something the Anglo media has imposed on the Mexicans in the United States as being something better than Mexican. . . . I think the attitude expressed is one of national pride, of Mexicans that most recently arrived who have not been submitted to a racist stereotype after generations that then forces them to deny their Mexican-ness.”

The “expression of that doesn’t necessarily mean resistance to assimilation,” Lopez said. “It’s a desire to maintain one’s identity. They’re obviously here, their children are in school, but integration doesn’t necessarily have to mean self-denial.”

The survey was intended to focus on transportation issues, but “it probably has as much information in it collectively as all the other studies combined that we’ve been able to identify” that looked at Latinos in Orange County, Barasch said.

While 48% of Orange County residents say freeways are the county’s biggest transportation problem, the survey found that most Latinos name the bus system as the largest problem, and only 15% mention freeways.

A total of 42% of the Latinos said they use the bus system, more than double the rate of the general population. Demographics, particularly income, are a big factor. Fewer than 60% have driver’s licenses, and while household size is much larger, averaging 5.2 members, the number of cars per household--1.8 cars--is much lower than the county average.

“I know that a lot of people, because of the new ruling for mandatory insurance, it makes it almost impossible for them to have a car. They turn to the bus,” Craig said.

In Mexico, Lopez said, public transportation “especially in the cities, is in many ways much more advanced than it is in the United States, and people become very accustomed to it. Coming here, depending on the bus is almost like second nature.”

Latinos surveyed rode the bus an average of nearly 14 days a month, primarily for work and shopping. A total of 52% said it was their only means of transportation.

Many said they would like to see more frequent buses and better routes with fewer bus transfers.

“It appeared from the findings that the one that was talked about the most was the frequency of buses--as frequency goes up, ridership goes up. That doesn’t appear to have that great a significance to the general population,” OCTD spokeswoman Joanne Curran said. “It’s something that we’ll definitely look at and consider.”

‘It probably has as much information in it . . . as all the other studies combined.’--Kenneth Barasch