Poll Responses Suggest Tensions, Hope for Future : Survey: To some, language, immigration and proliferation of multiethnic programs are creating uneasiness among the races. Awareness of others’ backgrounds is mentioned as a unifying force.

You see it in the faces of people on the streets, hear about it at government meeting halls and read about it in newspapers.

Orange County is changing rapidly in its ethnic makeup. One in four residents is Latino and about 10% are of Asian descent.

The change has resulted in some cultural misunderstandings, and several incidents lately caused some concern over the state of ethnic relations. A Times Poll in August found that 52% of county residents think race relations are either “poor” or “not so good.”

The Times recently asked readers to write or telephone their opinions about ethnic relations and to offer suggestions to improve relations between people of different ethnic backgrounds.

The majority said the tensions between the different groups can be worked out. Others said there is no solution, and the county is headed for tougher times because people of diverse backgrounds cannot live side by side.

Seventy-six people wrote letters and 20 called the TimesLink line. Out of the 96 respondents, 72 said ethnic relations problems can be solved. They suggested that people stop using stereotypes and that the educational system should offer more cultural classes.

Language was mentioned a possible source of tensions. Others said gangs were partly responsible. Some blamed organizations that promote cultural diversity for the downturn in ethnic relations.

The following is a sample of the responses:

* Pat Bath, 50, of Laguna Niguel: “By high school, students who used to be expelled or drop out of school, those who cause trouble, are often just shuffled from district to district. They need to be in a special boot camp. Those who have no desire to learn should not be in regular classes either. They drag everyone down. An attempt should be made to discover the reason for this lack of desire. Is it the language? Few role models? Incentives?

“In order to get a job, even at a discount store, clerks must know enough English to know what products the stores carry. It is more and more frustrating to go into a store and ask for something and the clerk does not speak enough English to know what you are asking for.

“In neighborhoods which are multiethnic, recreational centers may be a good way to build bridges. Young people need to get self-esteem from good activities. If kids play together, do homework together, have meals together, talk together, will they learn to understand each other? Will peace follow?”

* Arnold Casey, 60, of Huntington Beach: “I grew up in New York right after the second world war. We had people come over as refugees not speaking English. But we did not have bilingual instruction. The refugees learned to speak English quickly, because they were immersed in it and they quickly became a part of the community.”

* Nancy Ottinger, sophomore at Pacifica High School: “Parents shouldn’t influence their children (into becoming) prejudiced. I know parents may not mean to be (racially biased). But certain remarks they may make about a certain race could make a child prejudiced about that race.”

* Sheryl DeSilva, 28, of Irvine: “We need to get the illegal aliens the hell out of this country. We need to stop catering to the so-called African Americans that your liberal newspaper refers to. These people need to start behaving themselves and stop committing crimes.”

* Jason Tompkins of Pacifica High School: “Our country stands for liberty and peace. There is no room for racism and discrimination.

“It is my opinion that if you took one person aside and asked him what a perfect world would be, most likely he would say, ‘A world with no discrimination.’ But when they get in their groups, they decide to get rid of another group. People are looking for approval of their peers and superiors.”

* Nellie Vasquez, 43, of Santa Ana: “I was born in Fullerton. We had work programs in the summer and there were all ethnic groups that worked together. I think the future is in our youths, and the only way we can keep people aware of other ethnic backgrounds is by offering opportunities to get to know each other as people.”

* Mary Young of San Clemente High School: “If you take a trip backward to the start of time, you’ll find that folks from different backgrounds have never gotten along.

“Frankly speaking, people are completely narrow-minded. And, because of this narrow-minded way of thinking that has struck almost every American throughout the country, we have a constant breeding of ignorance. We are constantly judging others by their ethnic backgrounds and stereotypes.

“We are automatically on guard when we’re at a party and there is more of someone else’s race than our own. Or when we go into a checkout line in a grocery market, and someone from another race is the cashier, we automatically think that we’d better watch them closely or else they’ll cheat us out of our money the first chance they get.”