UCI

Fast-growing Latino, Asian groups making progress, but not fully participating in county's economic and civic life

Irvine, Calif. - Latinos and Asians, Orange County's fastest growing population groups, are benefiting from the county's strong economy and feeling optimistic about the county's future, UC Irvine's 1998 Orange County Annual Survey shows.

In UCI's 17th Orange County Annual Survey, Latinos (87 percent) and Asians (94 percent) give the county high marks for quality of life. A majority of Latinos (56 percent) and Asians (73 percent) rate the county's economy as excellent or good. Most say they are better off financially than last year (51 percent each). And nearly six in 10 Latinos and about half of Asians are confident that they will make continued gains in the coming year.

"The survey shows that Asians and Latinos have made a lot of progress in recent years, and are optimistic about their lives," said Mark Baldassare, professor of urban and regional planning at UCI and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, who conducted the survey with research associate Cheryl Katz.

"But there also are some warning signs in the survey that these groups are not fully participating in the county's economic and civic life. This disparity is the most troubling finding in the survey."

The 1998 telephone survey of 2,002 Orange County adults was conducted Sept. 1-13. This year the survey was conducted in three languages-English, Spanish and, for the first time, Vietnamese. The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 2 percent.

Despite their recent gains, Latinos and Asians lag behind the county's non-Hispanic whites in several key areas:

• Economy: Even though Latinos and Asians give high ratings to the county's economy, their assessments fall short of the 83 percent positive ratings among non-Hispanic whites.
• Housing: Forty-seven percent of Latinos and 50 percent of Asians vs. 64 percent of non-Hispanic whites say they are very satisfied with their housing.
• Jobs: Forty-nine percent of Latinos and 37 percent of Asians vs. 60 percent of non-Hispanic whites are very satisfied with their jobs.
• Leisure: Forty-eight percent of Latinos and 43 percent of Asians vs. 59 percent of non-Hispanic whites are very satisfied with their leisure activities.
• Finances: Twenty-five percent of Latinos and 23 percent of Asians vs. 30 percent of non-Hispanic whites are very satisfied with their personal finances.

Latinos and Asians are less satisfied with the region's job opportunities as well. Twenty percent of Latinos and 29 percent of Asians vs. 38 percent of non-Hispanic whites say they are very satisfied with the job opportunities available.

Latinos and Asians also feel less safe in their neighborhoods. Only 32 percent of Latinos and 45 percent of Asians say they feel very safe walking alone at night near their homes, compared with 52 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

In their political views, the survey shows that Latinos and Asians are similar to non-Hispanic whites. Fifty-four percent of Latinos, 57 percent of Asians and 62 percent of non-Hispanic whites describe themselves as middle-of-the-road to somewhat conservative. However, there is a notable gap in political involvement between non-Hispanic whites and the other groups surveyed.

"The survey shows that, politically, Latinos and Asians are more tuned out than non-Hispanic whites. Fewer are highly interested in politics, and fewer vote. In fact, more than half of Latinos never vote. So we're not yet hearing their voices," Katz said.

Forty-seven percent of Latinos and 44 percent of Asians express little or no interest in politics, compared with 29 percent of non-Hispanic whites. Only 24 percent of Latinos and 22 percent of Asians say they follow political news most of the time, compared with 49 percent of non-Hispanic whites. And 53 percent of Latinos and 43 percent of Asians say they never vote, compared with 13 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

Voter registration has been increasing in the Latino and Asian communities but remains well below that of non-Hispanic whites: Fifty-one percent of Latinos and 40 percent of Asians say they are not registered to vote, compared with only 13 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

"Both groups are moving toward increased political involvement, but still trail far behind non-Hispanic whites," Baldassare said.

Latinos and Asians also tend to be disengaged from charitable giving. They are less likely to donate large sums to charity: Thirteen percent of Latinos, 21 percent of Asians and 36 percent of non-Hispanic whites say they gave more than $500 to charities. Significantly, however, Latinos also are less likely to be asked: Seventy-five percent of non-Hispanic whites and 71 percent of Asians said they were asked to make a charitable donation, but only 48 percent of Latinos were asked.

Latinos and Asians also are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to volunteer: Thirty-six percent of Latinos, 38 percent of Asians and 51 percent of non-Hispanic whites say they did some volunteer work.

"We can't afford to have Asians and Latinos as anything but full participants in Orange County," Baldassare emphasized. "The economy needs them as we become more global and focus on trade with Latin America and Asia. Also, Orange County doesn't have that great a track record in charitable donations and political participation, and if these growing groups don't join in we could fall further behind."