We’re Not All Getting Along : Poll: Majority see less ethnic tension here than in L.A., but say relations are troubled and getting worse.

Police use batons and pepper spray to break up a crowd of Latino demonstrators demanding more Chicano studies classes at Fullerton College. Three young county residents are arrested in what police describe as a white-supremacist plot against blacks and Jews.

A racial brawl erupts on a high school campus in Fountain Valley, as one student is stabbed and 22 are suspended. A grand jury proposal to ban immigration sparks angry charges of racism from ethnic groups.

Such headlines in recent months have illustrated in dramatic fashion the ethnic tensions of a once white-bread county that is now grappling uneasily with rapid ethnic change.

And a new Times Poll underscores the uncertainty over the emotional issue: While people think relations are better here than in riot-scarred Los Angeles, a majority of those questioned say they are dissatisfied with the state of race relations in Orange County.

Fifty-two percent of county residents think race relations in the county are either “poor” or “not so good,” compared to 43% who give relations a positive rating, according to a telephone poll of 943 Orange County adults conducted by The Times. And despite far-ranging attempts at bettering ethnic relations, those who think racial discrimination in their community is getting worse outnumber those who see it decreasing by a ratio of nearly 5 to 1.

“Nobody’s come and burned anything into my lawn, thank goodness, but I have perceived prejudice on occasion,” said poll respondent Pam Shararian, an Orange homemaker and mother of two who is of both Mexican and Chinese descent. “It’s mostly people being rude. Or ignorant--(asking) ‘Where were you born?’ Well, I was born here. I was born in Los Angeles.”

The poll, conducted Aug. 12 through Aug. 15, tells a story of change in Orange County, showing that people of varied ethnic backgrounds such as Shararian are becoming more prevalent than before.

Blacks still represent only a small fraction of the county population, less than 2%.

But the number of Asians in Orange County nearly tripled during the 1980s, to about 250,000--or more than 10% of the population, the most recent census data shows. The number of Latinos doubled during that same span, to 557,000--or nearly one in four county residents.

In ethnic strongholds such as Westminster and Garden Grove, one in five people is now of Asian descent. And in Santa Ana, fully 65% of the population is Latino.

The dramatic growth, however, has meant more than a wider variety of weekend cultural festivals and foreign cuisine in the great U.S. melting pot. With the growth have also come intensified questions about how to teach children, communicate with neighbors, choose homes and protect communities from crime.

“This county is going through some significant growing pains,” said Rusty Kennedy, who as executive director of the Orange County Human Relations Commission is considered one of the county’s foremost experts on ethnic and racial issues.

“This used to be a sleepy, bedroom community with people leaving Los Angeles and moving to what was essentially a very homogeneous community. . . . That’s all changed now,” he said.

Kennedy points to his own neighborhood in Fullerton as a case in point.

Growing up in that North County community in the 1950s and early 1960s, “I could look up and down the street, and the people that moved in were so like my parents--they were all middle class, almost all of them were white, and many of them worked for Hughes or McDonnell Douglas or (other aerospace) companies like that. It was all very homogeneous,” Kennedy said.

But no more.

Kennedy now lives in the same house in which he grew up, and he says the pace of change in the community has been startling, as Latinos, Koreans, Vietnamese, people from India, blacks and other ethnic groups have all begun to call the middle-class area home.

“The community--very similar to the rest of Orange County--has changed dramatically through the years,” he said.

“But that kind of change doesn’t occur without some anxiety. I think a lot of people who see change going on around them get nervous about it, and they get nervous thinking, ‘Maybe I’m going to lose my position--maybe these Asian kids will displace mine on the honor roll, maybe these Latino kids will pull down academic standards at the schools, maybe these ethnic minorities will undercut my salary and do my job for less money,’ ” he said.

“Home no longer looks like home,” Kennedy said.

These perceptions may be based on misinformation or bias, Kennedy and others say, but the Times Poll shows that such attitudes can become deeply ingrained.

The poll, which has an error margin of plus or minus of 4 percentage points, revealed some resentment targeted at Latinos and Vietnamese--two groups that have achieved a more visible role in the county in recent years.

For instance, half of those polled singled out Latinos as a group more inclined toward violence than others--and Latinos themselves gave a virtually identical response.

For Vietnamese, the attitudes were no less sobering.

Poll respondents held a generally positive view of the impact that Asians have had on Orange County, and a majority singled them out as the ethnic group that is working harder than others to succeed.

But when asked about the impact of Asian immigrants on the local economy, 35% of those polled said they were a burden and 23% termed them a boost. When the same question was asked about Vietnamese immigrants, the negative marks went up further: 42% of those questioned said the Vietnamese were an economic burden, while only 14% said they were a boost.

And--in sharp contradiction to the results of the Asian-wide question--more Asians said they considered the Vietnamese a burden than a boost.

Sam Clauder, 42, a former Texas bail bondsman and a would-be screenwriter who lives in Garden Grove, near the Vietnamese cultural and economic center of Little Saigon, seems to typify many of these attitudes toward a people who have fast become his neighbors.

In the market, at the gas station, in traffic, Clauder complains, his Vietnamese neighbors often appear rude to those around them.

“My biggest problem with them is the fact that they are so exclusive--keeping to themselves, purposefully speaking Vietnamese when they could be speaking English, being very ambivalent to me when I talk to them, and not showing common respect for people in social situations,” he said.

“It’s almost like they have a war mentality,” he said. “Well, the war is over.”

Yen Do, editor of Nguoi Viet Daily News in Orange County, one of the largest Vietnamese newspapers in the country with a daily circulation of 12,000 papers, said he has become used to such rhetoric in a society that often appears “obsessed with the memory of the televised war in Vietnam.”

Anti-Vietnamese sentiments, he says, grow out of those images.

“Americans are so interested in everything related to Vietnam, so our community has become much more visible than other groups,” he said. “And the presentation in the media often creates negativity.”

Do says non-Vietnamese residents must realize that what may come across as rudeness or arrogance on the part of Vietnamese is in fact a reflection of insecurity. Following the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnamese were thrust into American life by the thousands without the benefit of training in language or culture--”an unprepared immigrant,” he said. Only recently has the immigrant community begun to carve a niche of its own in Orange County life, he said.

Officials say attempts to bring different ethnic groups together have grown dramatically in some parts of the county in recent years:

Schools have expanded classes and programs in multiculturalism and bilingual education. Political activists have fought--with some limited success--to elect more minority representatives in county positions to offer different viewpoints in government. The Los Angeles riots of 1992 prompted a far-ranging, community-wide study on ethnic relations called “Orange County Together,” with recommendations for reform now being pursued.

But for every success, it seems, there is a grim hate crime recorded somewhere around the county to remind community leaders of the potential for division.

A Vietnamese teen-ager in Fountain Valley is jumped and beaten by three white youths who yell racial slurs at him. A swastika is scrawled over a Malcolm X movie poster in Anaheim. The home of a Korean family in Fullerton is burglarized, with the words “No Nips” and “Go back to Korea” written on the walls.

“Die Nigger, KKK, 666” is sprayed on the walls at the University High School campus in Irvine. A pork chop and a razor are left in the lobby of a Jewish synagogue in Fullerton. A flyer is distributed to local businesses warning that “Niggers and Espanics (sic) shouldn’t be allowed to work or live in Irvine.”

These were among 188 hate crimes tallied by the Human Relations Commission last year under a comprehensive new countywide reporting system. That marked a rise of more than 50% over the previous year.

The Times Poll found that only 8% of Orange County residents reported that they had been the victim of a hate crime, compared to 14% regionwide. And law enforcement officials acknowledge that part of the increase can likely be attributed to more awareness and reporting of hate crimes.

But Kennedy, the commission director, says he believes today’s economic worries have also fueled ethnic tensions in the community.

“The two go hand in hand,” he said. Economic problems “create the environment for increased hostility between people who are different.”

While many county residents hold a dim view of the issue of race relations in general, most don’t seem to think it is a problem that affects them personally, the Times Poll showed.

When Lois Streit, a 57-year-old white woman from Huntington Beach, puts on crafts shows at local malls, she frequently sells her wares to “all different races,” she said. “And everybody seems to get along fine. I haven’t noticed any problems,” she said.

When asked about racial discrimination “in your community,” a majority of residents polled said they considered it to be only a minor problem --or not a problem at all. And 61% said they had never been discriminated against. Among ethnic groups, an overwhelming majority of respondents said they had been discriminated against either “not much” or “not at all.”

Interestingly, however, in a county that is seen as more insulated from racial strife than its northern neighbor, Latinos in Orange County reported a higher incidence of discrimination than did their ethnic counterparts in Los Angeles.

While more than half the Latinos polled by The Times in Los Angeles County said they had never been the victim of discrimination, only 42% here gave that same answer. And Latinos in Orange County said even more frequently than their counterparts in Los Angeles that they considered discrimination to be a major or moderate problem in their communities.

Indeed, LAPD Sgt. Julio Nunez, a traffic watch commander who lives in Los Alamitos and has six children, says that--despite the racial strife of Los Angeles--he often feels more comfortable there as a Latino than at home in Orange County.

“It’s different if you’ve never been in the minority,” said the 44-year-old Nunez, who took part in the Times Poll. “Unless you’ve actually lived it, people don’t see it--the attitude that’s displayed, the coldness.”

In Los Angeles, he said, there is simply a greater “tolerance” of different groups. Whites in Orange County, by contrast, seem quicker to blame Latinos as “a scapegoat for economic problems.”

The 1990 census data showed that Orange County Latinos are, by and large, struggling to keep pace with other ethnic groups in the schools, in the workplace and in other aspects of society. Latinos drop out of high school without getting a diploma more than three times as often as whites, their unemployment rate is twice as high, and their mean annual household income is about $17,000 less than whites, the census figures show.

The Times Poll showed that people across the ethnic spectrum most often cited a language barrier as the “primary thing holding Latinos back in Orange County.” But many Latinos--more than one in four--also mentioned another factor more difficult to overcome: prejudice.

Said John Palacio, Orange County leadership program director for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund: “Orange County is a very conservative county, and there are many organizations here that have been in the forefront of immigrant bashing, of racial hatred, and that’s why it’s essential to work together and educate ourselves.

“There’s a tendency (by non-Latinos) to feel that Latinos have been given things they have not earned, that they are taking jobs away from other deserving citizens, that they’re tax-receivers and not taxpayers, and that’s just ignorance,” Palacio said. “What people have to realize is that we really all want the same things for ourselves and our families.”

TIMES POLL: How O.C. Views Race Relations

Although most Orange County residents say they have never experienced discrimination, they have a somewhat negative view of local race relations. Asians have the most optimistic outlook.

* How would you rate race relations in Orange County today?

TOTAL WHITES LATINOS ASIANS Excellent 4% 5% 1% 6% Good 39% 37% 40% 48% Not so good 39% 41% 38% 35% Poor 13% 13% 16% 7% Don’t know 5% 4% 5% 4%

Latinos Seen Least Biased, Most Discriminated Against

In both Orange County specifically and Southern California generally, Latinos are viewed as not only the group most discriminated against, but also as the least likely to be prejudiced.

* Which group do you think suffers the most discrimination in your community these days? (Up to two responses accepted.)

Orange County Views of:

Total Whites Latinos Asians Latinos 36% 32% 57% 26% Blacks 21% 18% 27% 30% Asians 11% 12% 8% 16% Whites 9% 11% 3% 7% No group 16% 17% 14% 16% Don’t know 19% 19% 16% 26%

Southern California Views of:

Total Whites Blacks Latinos Asians Latinos 45% 36% 58% 61% 45% Blacks 36% 27% 82% 40% 38% Whites 10% 14% 7% 5% 2% Asians 9% 8% 3% 9% 18% No group 13% 17% 4% 10% 11% Don’t know 15% 16% 3% 14% 20%

*

Which groups of people in Orange County and Southern California are the most prejudiced? (Up to two responses accepted.)

Orange County Views of:

Total Whites Latinos Asians Whites 46% 43% 52% 54% Asians 24% 25% 23% 19% Blacks 22% 23% 27% 7% Latinos 15% 16% 15% 11% All equally, no one group 17% 17% 16% 22% Don’t know 10% 9% 7% 16%

Southern California Views of:

Total Whites Blacks Latinos Asians Whites 48% 41% 63% 53% 60% Asians 20% 17% 45% 19% 23% Blacks 37% 44% 8% 36% 24% Latinos 14% 14% 11% 15% 10% All equally, no one group 16% 19% 16% 12% 13% Don’t know 9% 9% 6% 9% 9%

*

During the time you’ve lived in Orange County, have you personally been discriminated against a great deal, a fair amount, some, but not much, or not at all? A great deal: 3% A fair amount: 8% Some, but not much: 27% Not at all: 61% Don’t know: 1% Those who said “not at all”: Whites: 69% Latinos: 42% Asians: 45% *

Would you say the amount of racial discrimination in your community is increasing, decreasing or staying at about the same level? Increasing: 34% Decreasing: 7% Staying same: 53% Don’t know: 6% *

In which ways have you experienced discrimination during the time you’ve lived in Orange County? (Asked only of those who said they experienced at least some discrimination. Up to two responses accepted.)

Views of:

Total Whites Latinos Asians Jobs, promotion 38% 35% 38% 45% Strangers 28% 27% 22% 40% Business, retail 23% 18% 29% 31% Government 17% 21% 15% 9% Education 16% 20% 10% 12% Neighbors 11% 12% 13% 7% Housing 7% 8% 7% 3%

*

Respondents were asked about four racial and ethnic groups in separate questions: Do you think conditions for blacks, Latinos, whites, Asians in Orange County are good or bad? (Question also was asked of Southern California.)

Orange County Conditions for:

Blacks Latinos Whites Asians Good 58% 52% 88% 81% Bad 23% 38% 8% 10% Don’t know 19% 10% 4% 9%

Southern California Conditions for:

Blacks Latinos Whites Asians Good 46% 50% 83% 77% Bad 45% 43% 12% 15% Don’t know 9% 7% 5% 8%

* Respondents were asked about four racial and ethnic groups in separate questions: What impact have Latinos, blacks, whites and Asians had on life in Orange County? (Question also was asked of Southern California.)

Orange County Impact of:

Latinos Blacks Whites Asians Positive 24% 26% 58% 36% Equally positive, negative 37% 44% 32% 39% Negative 32% 14% 5% 19% Don’t know 7% 16% 5% 6%

Southern California Impact of:

Latinos Blacks Whites Asians Positive 34% 24% 50% 41% Equally positive, negative 35% 39% 39% 37% Negative 27% 31% 8% 16% Don’t know 4% 6% 3% 6%

Note: Some totals do not add up to 100% because of multiple responses or because some categories, such as “other” or “don’t know,” are not shown. The opinions of blacks are included as part of total countywide results, but the Orange County sample is too small for separate analysis.

Source: Los Angeles Times Polls

How the Poll Was Conducted

The Times Poll interviewed 943 adult residents of Orange County, by telephone, Aug. 12 through 15. Telephone numbers were chosen from a list of all exchanges in the county. Random-digit dialing techniques were used to ensure that both listed and unlisted numbers had an opportunity to be contacted. Results were weighted slightly to conform with census figures for sex, race, age, education and labor force participation. Asians and Latinos were over-sampled to ensure large enough samples for analysis; these groups are weighted to their proper proportions in the overall, countywide results. While the opinions of black residents were included as part of the total countywide results for the poll, the black sample in Orange County was too small to include as a separate analysis. The margin of sampling error for percentages based on the entire sample is plus or minus 4 percentage points; for sub-groups the error margin may be somewhat higher. Interviewing was conducted in English and Spanish; only those conversant in those languages were interviewed. Selected comparative results are cited from other Times polls conducted nationwide, in Southern California, Los Angeles County and the city of Los Angeles.

What’s Your Opinion?

A Times Poll shows public concern over the state of ethnic relations in Orange County. Recent incidents highlight the potential for tensions between the races. As the county’s population becomes more diverse, what can be done to improve relations between people of different ethnic backgrounds? We’d like your opinion for use in a possible story. If you would like to respond to this question, you can contact us in the following ways:

BY FAX: (714) 966-7711

Attention: Metro Section Reader Survey / Ethnic Relations

BY MAIL:

Metro Section Reader Survey / Ethnic Relations

1375 Sunflower Ave.

Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626

BY PHONE:

TimesLink: (714) 808-8463. Then press *8310. This number is toll-free in most of Orange County.

A Look at This Series

Today: A rapidly changing populace grapples with ethnic diversification.

Monday: For residents of all races, fear of escalating crime is a unifying factor.

Tuesday: Some neighborhoods see new demographics as change for the worse.

Wednesday: Whose fault is the alienation? Institutions, individuals share the blame.