Jim Cooper's Orange County; Minority Political Strategies

Orange County has become a multicultural pluralistic society. Its two million residents then one million voters reflect many origins. Included are 300000 Hispanics originally from a half dozen countries. More than 60000 South East Asians from another half dozen countries significant populations of black that and Pacific Islanders Japanese and American Indians also call Orange County their home. Often minorities have been blocked out of the political process or taken for granted that automatically under influence of some political party. But that changing minority groups are prioritizing what they're fighting for in the political arena. They're looking at which candidate and which political parties can best meet those needs. They're not going to be taken for granted. I'm Jim Cooper in today my special guest are political activists each representing a special minority population in Orange County. And you know I get each a leader of some political body serving minorities in Orange County

Georgia and she is president of the Hispanic Democrats of Warren County. He started his political activism in Chicago at the age of 10 and Democratic politics. He's vice chairman of the G.I. Forum and chairman of the state civil rights committee for lacke and a board member of operation sare. Raul Silva is president of the Hispanic Republican committee for Orange County a local resident for 23 years. He's on the executive board of the Orange County GOP Central Committee and the state Republican Central Committee. He's one of the founders of the Hispanic Republican Council in 1979. Reed is vice president of the Democratic Black Council of Orange County. She's vice president of the Santa Ana Unified School Board and vice president of the Orange County Democratic Central Committee. Urban Smith is chairman of the Orange County Black Republican Council. He's also president and board chairman for the black businessman's alliance he's also a Contract Administrator and chief negotiator for private industry. He was active for 20 years in the civil rights movement. Gloria Julie Gayet is president of the Asian

Pacific Democratic Club of Orange County. She's been politically active for 10 years including service as the Asian Democratic state caucus and state Democratic Club. She's past president of the Japanese-American citizens leg then is chairman of the California Chinese-American Republican league Orange County chapter. He was formerly a signal corps commander in Vietnam who came to the United States in 1975. He had worked for the city of Garden Grove and refugee resettlement and the Pacific Asian American Center. Last year he received his USA citizen ship. He now runs a travel agency. Before we before we started our discussion I'd like to give you some figures that I think are very relevant to this and we just obtained these figures today from the Orange County Registrar of Voters one of the figures as are the other happy the unhappy listing of how many people will not vote. I call it the list of the missing Orange County voters.

Right now in Orange County there are 1.4 million other with 1 million 400000 people who would be eligible eligible to vote. They are old enough to be voters but of those 400000 will not even register. That leaves about a million who will be registered to vote on June 5th. Of the 1 million who will be registered to vote on June 5th only 60 percent will turn out. In other words 400000 of those will not vote. So out of 1.4 million who are eligible as we sit here today when this program to be Voters there will be 800000 non voters. Well there's an antidote for that and that antidote is the registration deadline there is something anyone can do about it and that registration deadline is going to be Monday May 7 1984 that's on a Monday and they and their registration office will be open until midnight or anyone can call the number simply dialing 8 3 4 2 2 4 4 that 8 3 4 2 2 4 4. And get this card this is a very simple card that will come in the mail to your house and it takes it between four and five minutes to make it out. You don't even have to pay for the postage to send it

back because the fourth that is paid by the registrar's office. And in 45 minutes you can have what people are dying for now in El Salvador death the right to go and vote. It's an approach important and precious thing. I hope we can do something helps if a program can do something to get to those 800000 non-players of nonvoters that we have or as of the start of this program. I'd like to begin with you and have you have each of you tell me what the main thing is that you're trying to accomplish in your organization let's start with you Joy for the moment calming our main goal of the group is to register people to vote in to roll so if you create a minute issues that pertain to the people the Spanish community here in Orange County on the day of voting we'd like to be out there in force and get the people out to vote. What are some of the things that are on their minds that you hear them saying to you

that one of the things right now the most important thing in the Hispanic community is the employment the jobs. And second would be the housing basically and then a high and so on and of. That will go from outside of that the immigration in our you know this country's involvement in El Salvador and. In the middle america. Let's go to Ralph Silva when you tell us a little bit about your group and what you're working toward. Well our group was basically put together to. Help the Hispanics register into the right party. They have been here. You're saying the right party as for the republic the Republican Party because of their culture and their heritage. We have many more things in common and the other party has for them and we have discovered today have never developed the clout to DD serve with their numbers. I mean you talk about this panic that has he been in general and they have never actually

gotten their piece of the pie they have been fighting the system and just about all the programs developed by the liberal wing of that other party is meant to keep these people on a dead level. What are some of the issues that that Hispanics are saying they're interested in what I feel they are. I have been very active in the community now and basically the jobs that Hispanics are very productive people they work they're the best employees they want to job they want interest rates down where they belong so they can buy homes they want. To keep the menace of communism away from our back door here our front door and they are very receptive to what the president is doing in Central America had some of this morning when I went to register new citizens in L.A. and they came up to me they saw the Reagan button and there this fellow that his wife was becoming a citizen was changing parties because of the criticism that had been put on our president for his intervention in Central America and keeping the communists the

locusts out of our system here. And this is one of the things that they're very very interested in Aside from the housing employment and the high taxes. All right let's go to say you read what Tell us about your group and what you're trying to accomplish. Jim I think I've. Our group is very similar to Do you like the top priority is to see that every black eligible vote is raised to that thought can kill that. The other job that we try to accomplish is to educate the community on issues as it relates to the black community. One other priority we find that the community is taking a look at is the fact that education is is one of the prime concerns in our community right now and the cut bad that the Reagan administration has made a lone thing grad is really stimulating a lot of interest me want a grant for students. Yes I know what you're doing is creating a lot of interest in the community to bridge to the pope will really make you upset when we hear the figures that we have just mention of the

400000 who could register who are not even to be registered. Yes I think that's an upsetting that not only to our group but I think it should be upsetting to the entire county and I think that makes the path much greater that we have to try to accomplish between now and may the sadness that all groups yet people have to register. Let's go over here to tell us about your group and what you think are the important things. What's on their mind. Well do our own. Republican counts of Orange County have been very active in terms of voter registration. We basically are also coming from a little different from some of the other groups. And what well in the inception of the country 19 in 1776 George Washington administration found out they needed two parties in the black community for many years it is turned out that blacks have gone to the Republican for a period of time in masses and have gone to the Democrats since Delano

Roosevelt in masses. Some of us feel that it is now time for the black community to become viable elements in both parties. So I think one of the primary goals of our particularly black Republican Council is to get that proper representation in the Republican Party. There are other things we're very interested in where it stood in strong defense. We some of us have very good feelings in terms of doing some serious things to curtail the growth of crime in the black communities. Whatever that may take to correct it. We are very interested in that. I would think that a matter like that crime in the black and the starting out I think concern both parties that certainly that's something you could certainly agree on but it's not limited to the black community on the right you don't want to apply that but I'm saying that since we are black and we would like to see it eliminated from our community. And certainly throughout the nation some of the other things our particular group is interested in is in to finish it. Some of us happen to believe that maybe

blacks are no longer strike continually striving for jobs but we would like to become interviewers owners of business and that also has a tremendous interest in the black community right now. Do you feel that black voters as a general rule are being much more discriminating now and asking well what does this man stand for what does this party stand for and what does this campaign stand for rather than just being taken for granted. Well let me be the perfect candidate with you Jim I think at this point in time through the candidacy of Jesse Jackson I think they're sending a signal. And I think that that signal is just wants to be heard in the Republican side. I want what and what is the signal the signal is that we are here we are going to be in Perth participating and we are not going to be satisfied with anything other than the top job. And I think that goes for black Republicans as well. We'll talk about that if you want to I think I'd like to read but let's come back to Gloria now. Tell us about your group and what you're working to do. You're president of the Asian Pacific Democratic club right.

We are a relatively new group of people that have come together. People really don't understand Asians Asians are a group of many kinds of people from various kinds of countries. And when we got together we said What will we do. What would our focus and we said voter registration not only to register them to vote make sure they get their own vote also to try to give them some kind of workshop so they can understand what our system is. Though many are now citizens and can vote. They really don't understand what our system is. And here in Orange County I think there's a lot to be learned. So. That's our biggest focus getting are getting people registered to vote right and to make sure that they go and vote. Could you name one or two things that people saw on our minds that are saying that that they need some political attention to right. Well employed I think that's on everybody's mind. Employment we're also concerned about the funding cuts for disabled people handicapped people the Social

Security Act. The trend that it's taking with all the cuts those are a great concern to many people who are near the retirement age or who might be disabled. And these are concerns that they can only learn them through learning what our government system is all about and maybe help lobbying. And this is one of the ways we can do it. Here now from the entitled by the way again I can graduate you have a new set and I guess of all of us your You might be the new as you said in having just become a citizen with that last last year here last year. Yeah you look near where we need to continue to and if you need to people have a variance in sales of freedom here. Yes and you have you know your area of life. So impregnated and political activities really shouldn't. To become politically remake of the

society and being able to participate in the political mystery in this election or creed of our organisation is that they didn't get the promotion. Or couldn't we at a patient and political leadership. Some of the industry needs to include in California and throughout the nation. And right now we have to go with what the police station and put the patient communication network into the Republican Party and the Eleusinian community in Orange County where a big job ahead of you because they could not all of course many of the Southeast Asians who came over here and 1975 Now those are U.S. citizens yet here you are trying to get those to be citizens and then be able to take part in the political process. You've got a big job ahead. I wish you good luck and let's let's take a look at some local issue one of the certain or certainly one of the local issues that has made some big headlines and it involves you are

all of this is that your organization has taken what I'm quoting from your releases an overwhelming condemnation of ballot measure at the Orange County Republican Hispanic Committee recently voted 34 to one to reject the sales tax proposal one cent sales tax report and on the proposition they can you tell us about that I mean I'm going to quote this because you are quoted you're saying a tax increase to finance a math transit boondoggle like the proposed 38 mile rapid rail line is absurd as that is quoting you correctly correctly. Why did your group take that position. Well Jim is a 16 percent sales tax increase. And our group 1 cent sales tax it was 60 percent who will it would be a lot of Brits I just sort of want to somebody I suggested an increase and it would be the highest tax in any county and state of California. It's another thing that the people who would be most hurt by this tax are the working people the poor people not the big corporation this is just one of the most blatant

power grabs for welfare for the big developers and the big money people in Orange County in conjunction with some of the politicians. It's another example of how the Democrats are not doing the proper thing for the supposedly working people. I did anybody else and I think you should do that how many people belong to the Republican Party. I like you and I belong to a Republican Party. You know I don't know you might think you're doing. But the fact is that the people who would be hurt rather are the ones down at the bottom of the barrel. Then buses are going around him and the train will be empty freeway things are already in the schedule to be done. The widening of the channeler freeway this is nothing but getting these people really back who have to buy more time is right that the streets of Santa Ana have you driven the streets of Santa Ana lately have you been Fairview have you driven on First Street. You know we're the ones who have to have if they are going to help out any of your group taking a stand on this either yet or are you still going to discuss it.

Have you taken the feelings you know we have to take an official stand on it but for him to sit there and say that the Democrats are you know it's a big thing for the Democrats right. I'm not a Democratic member of the many of them doorstep here and I'm not a part of that you know one of our viewers of your journey and you're here again we're having a Republican speaking for two is from the community as a whole but they don't. Despondent Democrats two weeks ago voted at our last meeting 18 with nothing to do when we support Proposition 8. So you're on record as it were our record as supporting props and why that because our people would support people like the service that we need the transportation we need the roads to get there we need more buses for people that don't have the cars and gas we need to pay for that is the reason why we didn't do any of any other your groups haven't taken a stand on this particular issue or if you're not because it is a county issue but some some political group will and some political groups won't for example in the Republican Party there are some people who have taken a stand on both sides of this.

As you're well aware you have nothing to say on that one. Your group really doesn't know we have not yet we have been discussing it and there's a lot of pros and cons on it I was seven not four. Let's talk about the matter of jobs itself the request of job are people saying we we need employment when he worked for employment. What way would you say that the best way that your party's any one of these three would say you could address that as trying to answer those cries for employment of people who are out of work. What would you say the important thing that your party is going to do for that. You're getting me to yet right now the implemented is down among the Hispanics and we could register enough Hispanics to be aware of their apartment prog problem which is sitting in their pocketbooks. The only way to do it is to get to develop some lumber fit on the first Tuesday in November and vote the man out. Mr Reagan who is the cause of all our employment. He not only has cause I didn't lie why do you say that he is the cause of your

own whining like a cross because of this site is a philosophy of. Getting side effects to reach the bottom of the ladder were the people on the top will get the tax breaks. And yet in the trickle down theory provide an economy that is. That hasn't happened as yet. Let me ask a question about employment I mean give a herb a cancer bank response and that certainly unemployment among black teenagers and one of the highest in the whole United States and unemployment is a concern to black people certainly yet it's a fair question that you would have thought I'm pretty sure part of it going on being able to respond to the question of I think about five years ago in the halls of Congress they determined that most of the performance the jobs are created by small businessmen. Some 40 percent are created by small businessmen and also like them sorry we change that figure to about 60 percent. About 40 percent of the new inventions and technical breakthroughs

are created by small business men. Therefore I think the Republican Party stands in the leadership in terms of promoting business per se. And if you take this is just equal and further that is a way of creating jobs. Let me make the second comment in that area. Our system is a capitalistic system. It is should be a competitive capitalistic system. In certain cases we have a lot of monopolistic capitalistic system and therefore we don't have as much competition as we should. As a result of that we've lost a lot of their our technology our creative business techniques to the Japanese and so forth. So I thought I'm basically saying is that I think through the through the in the near ship the creation of new business is that that will bring about a new job which is based and backed up by statistics. What do you say to a young black person that you're trying to get them to join an act of your party what the biggest argument you used to that young black person. Well I think my points are pretty clear it was that I had I'm one of them to think in terms of not only being employed but eventually into the new ship.

Say look you the same question What do you say to a young black man or woman that you're going to get active in your group. What do you say to them. Rao I tell them that the Democratic Party is the party of the people. When we talk about free enterprise and even though I know where Earth is where the urban thing but you know the young black man tried to make a loan to start his own business is just not realistic. If you look at the auto plants have closed down the unemployment rate has been for the administration had Reagan administration had been on the employment for Blyde you it it's not realistic to tell the young you that the Republican Party is going to deliver gradually I'm sure that the Democratic Party has a lot to be desired but we do look at basic needs when we talk about housing employment and education. Those are the top three priorities that which our candidates focus on as it relates to black youth and so that's what I would be tried to focus on doing.

All right. Very quickly go out in the 50s in the 60s when I was working on that at the time I heard the same sort of comment that blacks were limited to the things they could do in certain jobs I did not accept but then you know I'm not they were unlimited hide and acknowledge you know I mean really limit it to make their point. OK I'm going to make it pretty clear I do not accept any kind of limitation on any young black today. I don't I'm saying great they don't have the opportunity to go in and get the loans. If we wanted to open up a new business than that then I think blacks are capable of doing anything high technology whatever it is that limits this there but you take a young black you and I tell him but I won't talk about free enterprise and let him go into a bank. Haven't packed it all together and the white you go in there. Who is the meme of the Republican Party with his back who's going to get the low. Jim this is what I'm saying is that we're not being realistic I don't know I mean I mean it would be realistic. The thing that is holding homes you're going to see I think that young Hispanic man what do you say to him that the thing going to have been holing the development of homes and all the other industry in the United States is on high interest rates and the high taxes and that's something that President

Reagan who brought down Jimmy Carter to remain in office this country would have been gone by now. And that's what I tell a Hispanic because if they want real development and the real free enterprise without any government intervention without any government intervention into the money the monetary field or anything else for development let me give you an example. These illegals that come over here by the millions they find jobs. They work they buy homes they my cars they raise a family and they know how to take care and how to adopt through the free enterprise system. I mean if you go out to one of the big problems among the 60000 South Asians we have here jobs many of them want to go to work. They want a job. So what do you try to tell them when you talk to any Southeast Asian that you'd like to get in your group as to how you're going to help that young person to get a job under the American system. What do you say to that. I like that you that Mr. top. Job what you try to

do to get jobs for people and what you must rule to apply to zero under the law you must go through this. If we're going to get education for the future. And do you feel your party can help them encourage them to do that. Why why do you feel that way because I know the money's in the creation now for all people the human being young when you can go to work now. You had the opportunity to get a job right however would you say that I'm anxious to respond to that because many of the young people the Southeast Asians Pacific Islanders and even American born Asian you know it's a Lapidos which I am part Filipino and yes I'm always they go to school they get these degrees that when you set about to seek employment the employer who is usually the Republican upper class white middle class person wants them to be young 20 25 years old have 15 years experience and a

degree and then they're not hired. And that is a big problem with all our young people of color today. So what do you know what would you say to a young person that got them in New York in the organization. What's the big are going to say the Asian Pacific Democratic Club of Orange County will try to do with that young person. We want to help them. To gain the strength and through a body of people one we can gain the strength. We could help them support them. We can what we want to do is let them learn the system pried off of the people that are new here are really rather shy they are a little bit inhibited. We have to gain their confidence we have to show them that they can be confident and go out there maybe speak up a little bit and I think with all the people of color it's been in the past that we have been very hesitant to speak out already is there any special hot race that you think will be the hottest race we don't have it all the time with what this quickly Paterson idea is going to be I think you're going to be active in that and raise that very partisan and

what about your group are you going to be active on the other side that in that race 38 that we're going to be I might raise money his Finance Committee who is of that Bob Dornan Bob Dornan. And how about your you're going to ruin your turn being born in the Strategy Session next Wednesday and so we have people but what is interesting in this is that you are going not only making your political feelings out but you're going to translate that in support of the vaccine for the people you like in Jerry Patterson your case or Mr. Darden whoever you learn before on the Republican side I think also the 70 furthest assembly will be another one. But there's been very good and I hope that this discussion today will make people realize how important it is not to be one of those 800000 who won't vote but the being the 600 part of the second a thousand the will and try to encourage the more people. Our time is almost up now and I want to thank all of our get there for a perspective on minority golden politics in Orange County. Remember to register to vote on May 7 or what you think won't even count. Join me next week at the time we'll have a special debate on the Ganesha day with

Paul again. And Democratic Senator Paul Carpenter and I look at all the ballot here. I'm Jim Cooper. Thanks for being with us.