Fostering Diversity, Forestalling Division : * Efforts of Orange County Together Deserve Support

How well is Orange County doing in adapting to changes in its ethnic and social makeup? A recent series of articles in the Times Orange County Edition explored this complicated question. The bottom line seems to be that we are making some laudable efforts to address our increasingly diverse society, but we still have much room for progress.

That we are changing is now accepted fact. One in four residents is now Latino and about 10% are of Asian descent. These demographic changes in recent years have resulted in some painful adjustment away from old stereotypes, and in tensions between ethnic groups. A Times Poll last summer found that a full 52% of respondents thought race relations were either “poor” or “not so good” in Orange County.

To meet the challenges, a number of initiatives have been undertaken already. Perhaps the greatest wake-up call was the L.A. riots in 1992, which prompted county opinion leaders to mobilize a nonprofit group called Orange County Together. It was a wisely conceived effort to address problems that might be awaiting Orange County if they were not considered sooner rather than when it might be too late.

Some of the changes that have resulted are small, such as chats between various ethnic groups or exploring different cuisines. These are useful and even fun, but relatively easy; more substantive efforts aimed at positioning the county to deal with its diversity for the long term have already resulted in some controversy. Two members of Orange County Together quit last year because they did not agree with all the group’s goals on promoting cultural diversity, on proposed educational programs or on the use of bilingual materials.

While not every initiative will be agreeable to all, broad attempts to deal with cultural diversity are crucial to the county’s future and deserve support. For example, efforts to improve community policing and to hire a diverse work force in business and government are highly laudable goals.

A number of important interest groups, such as United Way, the Irvine Foundation and Southern California Edison Co., clearly have recognized that the efforts are important and provided funding.

Some of the polling suggested that great progress can be made if people simply make the effort to get to know one another better. For example, white residents with Latino friends were more likely than other whites to say that Latinos made positive contributions to the county, and the same was true of Asians.

Friendship, beyond mere contact in the workplace or at school, seems to eliminate prejudice and foster broader understanding of ethnic groups. This may seem self-evident, but it provides reason for optimism that bringing people into closer contact can reap benefits for the county.

Orange County Together aims to anticipate Balkanization and try to head it off. A Garden Grove commercial strip that has more than 900 ethnically diverse businesses was targeted by a social agency working with Orange County Together for a project aimed at forging links between ethnic groups.

Moreover, the poll found a hardening of views among older people that suggests the value of concentrating efforts at fostering understanding among young people. The work already being done to eliminate conflicts in Fountain Valley, Westminister, San Clemente and Huntington Beach represents a significant start.

All of this work is important as Orange County copes with its new diversity. It deserves the community’s enthusiastic support.