Census Results Bolster Hopes for Ethnic Gains in Politics : Population: The numbers bode well for the future prospects of Asians, Hispanics and other minority candidates.

When Ky Ngo got a look at new U.S. Census numbers released this week, he liked what he saw.

The number of Asians in Orange County nearly tripled during the 1980s, making them the fast-growing ethnic group in the region. In strongholds such as Westminster and Garden Grove, one of every five people is Asian. La Palma’s Asian population swelled to 31% over the decade.

All that was good news for a political junkie like Ngo.

“I think we are looking for 1992 and the Vietnamese can be involved with politics,” said Ngo, chairman of the Vietnamese-American Political Action Committee and a delegate to the 1988 Republican National Convention. “I think with the Vietnamese population in Orange County, many candidates can run for city council.”

Others politicos and elected officials might disagree with the timetable, but they can hardly argue that the new census numbers bode well for the future prospects of Asians, Hispanics and other minority candidates seeking elected posts in Orange County.

Hispanics, in particular, seem poised to exert newfound political power in the 1990s with far greater numbers of formidable political candidates. Countywide, nearly one in four people is Hispanic, double the percentage in 1980.

“We’re going to be seeing more and more Hispanics elected to political office,” predicted Harvey Englander, a Costa Mesa-based political consultant. “There are more and more appeals being made to Hispanic voters these days. Because of that sort of thing, we’re on the verge of seeing more elected.”

While the greatest inroads are expected in ethnic strongholds such as Santa Ana, where 65% of the population is Hispanic, gains could also be made in traditional white bastions such as Anaheim, where one person in three is now Hispanic.

The Hispanic population has also surged in some of the upscale South County communities. San Juan Capistrano saw the number of Hispanics skyrocket 178% during the decade, with the total now representing 22% of the population.

Already, Hispanic candidates have proved successful in pockets of the county that are almost exclusively white.

“It’s not just the Hispanic community becoming aware, but the majority of society realizing that our agendas are not really different just because we’re Hispanic,” suggested Victoria Jaffe, who helped shepherd the successful incorporation of Mission Viejo and later served on the council.

As of now, however, the number of Hispanics and Asians on city councils, school boards and other locally elected posts is hardly representative of the burgeoning numbers.

Countywide, there are about 30 Hispanic elected officials. No Asians sit on any city council in Orange County. In Garden Grove, the first Asian ever to serve on one of the city’s commissions was appointed just a few months ago.

Some observers say that sort of dearth of representation poses problems.

“I don’t think our typical white male city council in Orange County can understand the depth of the problems when it comes to ethnic communities,” said Eileen Padberg, a Republican political consultant. “In terms of the issues that matter--health, job opportunities, crime and safety--I think there’s a large segment of the community that isn’t being adequately represented.”

But she and other political observers predict it will only be a matter of time before such electoral inequities are remedied at the ballot box.

Early next month, for instance, the Republican Party in Orange County is holding a special tutorial session for ethnic candidates, a session that could prove particularly instructive to Southeast Asian newcomers still becoming familiar with the ins and outs of the American political system.

Ngo, for one, plans to be there.

“I think that will be very helpful,” he said. “In the next few years there will not be many candidates, but some. Especially the young Vietnamese, those who have graduated from law schools, with degrees in science and politics, they are ready.”

Others, however, suggest that Vietnamese and other recent Southeast Asian immigrants probably won’t enter the political maelstrom until later in the decade, as the second generation matures.

“One important thing to remember is that the Vietnamese influx has been fairly recent,” said Mark Leyes, a Garden Grove councilman. “They have been slow to activate politically.”

Leyes also noted that the Asian community is far from a homogenous voting block. Instead, it is composed of disparate contingents from Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, China and other countries with cultures that don’t necessarily mix.

John Liu, a UC Irvine assistant professor of comparative culture, suggested that the most notable foray into politics by Asians in Orange County has come in the form of campaign contributions.

“Their biggest impact is going to be in terms of money, in terms of financing,” Liu said. “If you take a look at the Asians who have been influential so far, it’s been through the pocketbook, through donations.”

Liu said it would “take a bit longer” for candidates to rise up, with those coming from “the second generation and more established first generation.” A city like Irvine, with its well educated citizenry and an Asian population of 18%, may produce successful politicians sooner than cities with even larger pools of Asians, he predicted.

“It’s a little different in cities like Westminster and Garden Grove, where Asians have a different image, where they’re seen as shopkeepers or merchants,” Liu said. “They may not have that respectability” to attract a broad range of votes.

But optimists such as Ngo remain confident that Asians can run successfully as soon as the next election.

“I feel America is the melting pot,” Ngo said. “This is the nation of nations. Anyone qualified will be accepted, no matter what race they are.”