Redistricting Panel Rejects Maps by Minority Groups

A county committee that is drawing new boundaries for county supervisors’ districts Thursday rejected proposals by Latino and Asian organizations, angering community members who accused the panel of diluting the voting power of minority groups.

The five-member committee, which is made up of representatives of each county supervisor, entered Thursday’s meeting with 14 boundary maps to consider. It left the session with just two, both of which were drafted by members of the Board of Supervisors and their aides.

The panel tossed out a proposal by the Hispanic Redistricting Committee, as well as others offered by Korean- and Vietnamese-American groups.

Redistricting--the once-a-decade process of redrawing supervisorial boundaries to reflect population growth--has attracted intense scrutiny from groups representing fast-growing central county minority communities.

Particular attention has focused on Supervisor Roger R. Stanton’s district, which includes large numbers of Latino and Asian residents. Those groups have lobbied for new district lines to strengthen their political influence.

The Latino redistricting panel submitted a map that would have made Latinos the majority group in Stanton’s District 1 by lumping together Stanton, Garden Grove and Fountain Valley.

The county panel rejected that proposal, arguing that the map was incomplete and needed too many revisions to be considered further.

The two maps chosen for further consideration would both leave Latinos short of a majority in any district, but they would make up about 47% of District 1 under either proposal.

“We’re very disappointed, because these plans would dilute the power of ethnic minorities,” said Ruben A. Smith, counsel for the Latino panel. “A few percentage points do make a big difference.”

Arturo Montez, another member of that panel, said either of the remaining recommendations would violate the Voting Rights Act by preventing Latinos in three supervisorial districts from holding a majority.

Ho Young Chung, president of the Korean American Assn. of Orange County, also objected to the proposed maps, particularly one submitted by Supervisor Thomas F. Riley. His proposal would leave Garden Grove divided between District 1 and District 2.

“What about Garden Grove?” he asked. “You cut it in half. A bleeding community.”

Under either of the remaining proposals, Riley would represent the developing areas of South County.