O.C.’s Changing Ethnicity

If anyone had doubts about the changing face of Orange County and its growing diversity, the 2000 census figures give solid supporting evidence for what already was becoming apparent in the last decade.

The county population grew 18% over the last decade to 2.8 million residents to become the second-largest in the state, fourth-largest in the nation and one more populated than 20 states.

In that growth spurt, the Latino population grew 46% and is the county’s largest minority group, accounting for nearly 3 of every 10 residents. But it’s not the fastest-growing group. The Asian American community is. With a 63% increase, it makes up 14% of the county. The white population decreased by more than 95,000.

But more dramatic than a loss of whites is the shift of that population and the new ethnic distribution. Latinos and Asian Americans are concentrated in the northern and central cities (Santa Ana has about 88% nonwhite residents). The south and coastal areas, while still growing more diverse, have the highest concentration of whites. In several cities whites account for about 9 of every 10 residents.

In 1990 only one city, Santa Ana, had more minorities than whites. Now there are 10 such cities. And six others have white populations just over the 50% line. If the trends continue, whites will be a minority in all of the six cities at the next census. Countywide, whites account for 51% of the population.

So what does it all mean, besides the obvious educational, housing, economic and traffic issues that more residents raise? One thing is that the county finally can shed the dated post-World War II image of being a white bastion of far-right politics. The ethnic shifts also could help make government in the county truly more representative of various immigrant groups.

The increase of Latino and Asian American residents hasn’t translated fully into political power--yet. Historically, Latinos have not registered to vote in the same ratios as white residents. And those registered have not turned out in the same numbers. But that could easily change.

There were signs in the last decade that the new minority growth can start influencing local representation. Until last November, Westminster City Councilman Tony Lam, elected in 1992, was the first--and only--Vietnamese American elected to office in the county. In 1996, Loretta Sanchez became the first Latina elected to Congress from Orange County.

But in the first elections of this new decade in November, Van Tran was the top vote-getter in the City Council election in Garden Grove. He was one of four Vietnamese candidates on the ballot in Garden Grove and Westminster.

In Santa Ana, two more Latinos were elected to the City Council and two others to the school board, giving minority members the bulk of the elected seats in the city. There were several other minority candidates in the county, including a Latino who was the top vote getter in the La Habra City Council race, and in Lake Forest, where a predominately white community elected the county’s first black mayor.

Some pundits may consider these political wins baby steps for the emerging ethnic communities. But they also must be seen as healthy and hopeful signs that more minority residents are ready to run for office--and that voters, regardless of their ethnic background, are accepting the county’s new diversity and will elect Asian Americans, Latinos and blacks as well whites to represent them.

The new district lines for county, state and federal office that will be drawn based on the 2000 census figures should spur even more Latino, Asian American and black residents to offer their candidacy. In next March’s local elections, that could produce the first noticeable impact of the 2000 census figures in the form of officeholders truly reflecting the county’s growing diversity.