Census figures to alter political map

Hispanic population adds new redistricting dimension

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press April 6, 2001.

By LISA WAHLA
Valley Press Staff Writer

California's swelling Hispanic population, which now makes up 32.4% of the state's residents, will add another dimension to the complicated redistricting process.

The U.S. Census figures released last week are used to adjust boundaries of political districts to re-balance their population distribution. The growth in Hispanics means that the ethnic group is virtually certain to gain more representation when the state Legislature releases map proposals in late summer.

Over the last decade, the number of Hispanic lawmakers in Sacramento has risen dramatically, from four Assembly members and three senators in 1990 to 20 and seven today. Alan Clayton, a researcher with the Chicano Employees Association, expects that by 2006, voters will elect 10 or 11 Latino state senators and 25 Assembly members.

Mapmakers will have to "walk a tightrope," one expert said, to balance the requirements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with recent Supreme Court rulings. The Voting Rights Act precludes mapmakers from fragmenting minority communities, but recent high court decisions indicate that boundaries cannot be based predominately on race.

Most districts struck down by the court were oddly shaped, designed to pull together a large number of minority voters despite geographic boundaries. One such district in North Carolina stretched 160 miles down a highway, for example, said UCLA law professor and redistricting expert Daniel Lowenstein.

Lowenstein said such gerrymandering probably won't be an issue in California, where ethnic communities often live close to each other. What will be an issue here could prove just as dicey: handling the expectations of Latinos with their newly confirmed voting strength in districts that formerly were African-American strongholds.

"You could see some conflicts between blacks and Hispanics in respect to some seats," Lowenstein said. "Democrats don't want to let this get away from them, because they're both predominately Democratic constituency groups."

Because Democrats control both houses of the state Legislature and the governor's office, they have control of the redistricting process. The situation worries Republicans, who fear the new maps could make the GOP a greater minority.

But, when the ethnic issue is combined with Democrats' desire to protect their own key incumbents, redistricting will be far from easy for Democrats.

"One of the dynamics is it will be very hard to find and create these safe African-American seats because of the growth of the Latino population," Assemblyman George Runner, R-Lancaster, said. "I don't think anybody should think this is going to be a cakewalk for Democrats - they have a lot to deal with."

Of course, Runner added, it's a problem Republicans would love to be tackling.

A Democratic redistricting spokesman downplayed the potential dilemma, saying the process will be fair by incorporating testimony and hearings statewide.

"This is not a Polaroid picture where you snap it and, 15 seconds later, you get it back," Kam Kuwata said. "It is a long and significant process, which will be done thoughtfully, step by step. I urge people to withhold judgment until they see the finished product."

Locally, Latino population growth was especially noteworthy in Palmdale, where Latinos now comprise 38% of residents. The white population fell to 41%, prompting Sandy Corrales to note, "If it were a survey, we'd be within the margin of error."

Corrales, a Palmdale businesswoman and Hispanic activist, said the figures confirmed the growth she had expected for the last decade.

"We were talking about how one day in Palmdale and Lancaster we'll see a Latino majority - that day is coming a lot sooner than anyone thinks," Corrales said, adding that recent Palmdale School District figures show the student population as 47% Latino, 29% white and 19% black.

"We're going to have more Latinos involved in all aspects of politics, be it community work or elected office for local, state and national positions. The same goes for African Americans and Asians. All the figures bode well for the AV."