Latinos, whites see county differently

Deirdre Newman

A survey of Orange County found that Latino and white residents

hold dramatically different visions of the region’s prosperity,

priorities and politics.

The Special Survey of Orange County found that Latinos have

considerable anxiety about economic opportunities, but are somehow

more optimistic than the region as a whole about their own and the

county’s future.

The survey, released Wednesday, is a collaborative effort of the

Public Policy Institute of California and the School of Social

Ecology at UC Irvine. It analyzes Orange County because it is the

second most populous county in the state and one of the fastest

growing and changing regions.

The goal of the survey is to educate policymakers by providing

current, objective information about policy preferences and economic,

social and political trends.

Orange County has about 2.9-million residents, nearly half of whom

are Latinos and Asians. The gap between Latinos and whites is

greatest in issues such as job security, personal and household

finances, and home and community, with Latinos more concerned about

most of these issues.

One of the most startling differences turned up when survey

participants were asked to describe themselves as haves or

haves-nots. About 75% of whites say they are haves, compared to only

39% of Latinos.

“The gap we see between white and Latino perceptions in Orange

County is greater than in the rest of the state, and this is a cause

for concern,” institute survey director Mark Baldassare said in a

press release.

Still, Latinos maintain a bright outlook. They are more likely

than whites to say they will be better off a year from now than they

are today.

Some of the other main findings from the survey include:

* 39% of county residents do not expect to use the Great Park at

all. The Great Park is slated to replace the El Toro Marine Base

since the approval of Measure W in the spring.

* County residents are more satisfied with their quality of life

than residents of the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles.

* Only 12% say that county officials pay a lot of attention to

what residents think when making policy decisions.

In response to this low statistic, Supervisor Jim Silva said that

just because county officials don’t always vote the way some

residents would like, it doesn’t mean they’re not paying attention.

“I have been in situations where we voted, and it’s a

controversial issue. People will stand at the podium and shake their

fist and say, ‘You’re not listening,’” Silva said. “We’ve heard every

word they said, but we might not agree with them.”

The survey findings are based on a telephone survey of 2,007 adult

Orange County residents over an eight-day period in early November.