Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Is Orange County The Asian American Dream?

[Ed]

To understand Orange County's unique place in the Asian American consciousness one must reconcile several seemingly conflicting images. First, Orange County has traditionally been one of the state's richest, whitest and most conservative counties. Second, it is home to UC Irvine, easily the most prestigious university in which Asians actually outnumber Whites 2-1 (55% to 28%). Third, it hosts the nation's largest Vietnamese population (145,000). Fourth, it's the home of the import-car racing craze, prompting some to dub UCI the University of Civics and Integras.



Home of the Asian American Dream?
Stroll around Costa Mesa's South Coast Plaza, the nation's toniest shopping center, and you will question the Census figures that place the Asian/Pacific Islander American population at only 460,000 (or 15.3%) of Orange County's 3 million. The crowds of Chinese, Corean and Vietnamese shoppers will convince you it must be 30% or more. In some ways you would be correct. Demographic trends suggest the County's white population is downright geriatric and shrinking at accelerating rates. Including white Hispanics, it is nominally 64% of OC population but it fields barely 44% of public school enrollment.

The fastest growing segment of the population is Asian, with a staggering 65% growth between 1990 and 2000. Already Orange County is the sixth largest AA metro area and is headed toward the number 4 spot by the next census. For one thing Westminster's Little Saigon is the mecca for Vietnamese Americans, one of the nation's two fastest-growing Asian nationalities. In the wake of Saigon's fall in 1975 the first big wave of Vietnamese refugees and immigrants began their American lives in nearby Camp Pendleton before building Little Saigon on parcels of what were once Japanese American strawberry fields and orange groves. Today Little Saigon is easily Orange County's most spectacular ethnic enclave.

Chinese Americans are a distant second in terms of OC's Asian population, with a population of 65,000. Most are professionals who tend to meld into picture-perfect communities like Irvine (30% Asian), Anaheim Hills, Laguna Hills and even ritzy Lemon Heights and Newport Beach. Many are former LA and Bay Area residents fleeing traffic and crime. In the process they helped turn the County into Silicon Valley South.

Not far from Little Saigon is Orange County's own Koreatown stretching over a half mile along Garden Grove Boulevard. With a 60,000 strong community, Coreans are OC's third largest AA population. Like the Chinese, most lead suburban lives, whisking their kids to highly-rated schools in the hushed comfort of Benzes and oversized utes. The County also attracts significant but less visible populations of Filipino, Japanese and Indian Americans. Collectively, Asian Americans are the County's most affluent segment, buying homes valued at twice the county average.

Is Orange County the embodiment of the Asian American dream? Or is it the place where the AA identity goes to die? Or both?

[WICKED]

orange county is not a bad place to make a few bucks, but its definitely not an asian americans dream. the main asian centre in oc is in westminster, which was settled by right wing capitalist vietnamese who were expelled from viet nam. other similar groups include taiwanese who were expelled from the prc, also far right groups. this works for them because orange county is an extreme right wing place, but i wouldnt say that this place goes very well with the human race, as right wing people generally dont have any regard for human rights. anyone living in oc is very vulnerable. minorities more so than others. there happen to be a lot of racist groups in the oc. oc also strikes me as a police state, but this can go for california in general, how they worship cops there. i was shocked to see highways named after "fallen officers". i really cant believe that in oc, people get ticketed for j walking and riding a bike without a helment. that to me is just way too authoritarian, even by american standards.

[foshizzle]

Orange County is not the Asian American Dream. Yeah, lots of Asians, lots of opportunities, and it's really nice. I don't think you'll lose your roots there unless you want to and if you were probably going to lose it anyways somewhere else. It's the person and their preferences, not necessarily the location.