O.C. Is More Tolerant Than Its Image

The results of a recent poll of 1,000 Orange County residents conducted by the Ludie and David C. Henley Social Sciences Research Laboratory at Chapman University present a picture of Orange County that is at odds with its national reputation as a hub of right-wing conservatism.

Orange County has been seen as the home of anti-Communist John Birchers, apocalypse-prophesying evangelists, “cowboy capitalists” who demand free enterprise and an unregulated economy, libertarians opposed to centralized government and taxes, and thousands of voters angered by liberals.

Similarly, the county historically has had an image of racial intolerance and bigotry. Strong majorities of Orange County voters have supported state ballot initiatives to end affirmative action and to deny the children of illegal immigrants access to school and health care. Orange County is the home of Save Our State, the anti-immigrant group that erected a sign at the California border warning illegal immigrants to stay out.

The libertarian spirit remains, but the poll shows that citizens are favoring more government action to solve pressing social and economic problems. Nearly half of all residents polled think the government should assume control of the electric system; 68% favor stricter gun control laws; 66% are in favor of government action to ensure affordable housing; and 65% favor a park, rather than an airport, at El Toro.

On the whole, the data suggest that Orange County is also becoming more tolerant of racial and ethnic diversity. The poll asked the same 20 questions regarding race and ethnic diversity that were first asked by Mark Baldassare in the 1994 UC Irvine Annual Survey of Orange County. On virtually every question, the data suggest that Orange County residents are more tolerant of racial and ethnic diversity than they were in 1994. This finding held up across race, income, gender and age.

The different ethnic groups in Orange County appear to be getting along better than in 1994. In 1994, only 33% of residents felt that ethnic groups were getting along. Seven years later, this figure rose to 56%. In 1994, 39% of respondents felt that relations would get worse in the next decade. This figure fell to 20% in 2001. To ensure proper representation, 74% of residents feel it is important that redrawn Board of Supervisors’ districts reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the county.

Orange County has evolved into a melting pot of different races and ethnic groups. Orange Countians are recognizing this diversity and its positive impact on society. Sixty-four percent of residents say that ethnic groups have helped the economy; up from 49% in 1994. Fifty-eight percent say that ethnic groups have helped the quality of life in 2001, up from 45% in 1994. Of those that said their neighborhood was changing, 52% said this change was “good,” up four percentage points from 1994.

Our community is by no means free of racial and ethnic bigotry and prejudice. There was no change in the percentage (15) of Latinos who said they experienced discrimination “always” or “frequently.” The figures for the Asian respondents were 6% in 1994, but 5% today. Twenty-eight percent of the Latinos surveyed said that other members of their ethnic group experience discrimination. This figure was down 3 percentage points from 1994. In 1994, 13% of the Asians surveyed said other members of their ethnic group experience discrimination. This figure is 6% today.

The poll also found that hate crimes are grossly underreported. The number of hate crimes reported each year to the Human Relations Commission is in the hundreds. However, 12% of the respondents said they had been a victim of a hate crime. In a county of 2.8 million residents, this would translate into about 280,000 hate crimes a year. However, 67% (of those who were hate crime victims) said they had not reported it.

How do we explain these changes? It is possible that the 1994 poll, conducted in the wake of the Los Angeles riots and an economic recession, presented an atypically negative portrayal of the county. Similarly, it is possible that the positive gains reported here will disappear should the rosy local economy falter. The data suggest that the county is becoming more comfortable with and more appreciative of its ethnic diversity, and that increased familiarity breeds tolerance rather than contempt.

We appear to be getting along somewhat better than we did seven years ago. Most importantly, we are a much more tolerant community than our national image may suggest.

Fred Smoller is the director of the Ludie and David C. Henley Social Sciences Research Laboratory at Chapman University, and a commissioner with the Orange County Human Relations Commission. Amanda Levy is a recent graduate of Chapman University and the associate director of the laboratory. The results of the poll can be found at www.chapman.edu/hssrl.