Anaheim's Political Segregation

More on the recent crisis in Anaheim, at LAT, "In Anaheim, voting by district could alter the power dynamic."

The discussion is basic. Anaheim still uses at-large council elections, which politically disenfranchise the city's Hispanic majority. But especially interesting is the accompanying graphic, "Anaheim's racial and economic distribution." The 55 Freeway is the Newport Beach Freeway. Southbound takes you right down to Newport Beach and the Balboa Peninsula. Northbound the freeway ends at the 91 Freeway, which goes East and West. Heading East takes you to Riverside and San Bernadino and beyond. That stretch of Anaheim at the right of the graph is very affluent, one of the more prestigious parts of Orange County. It's a foothill area with winding roads and horseback riding --- a rural feel. Folks with money have moved up there for decades. When I was in high school in the '70s, Anaheim Hills High had a truly snooty reputation. South Anaheim over by Disneyland and Anaheim Stadium is resort-oriented with business and industry sprinkled throughout. It's the north part of Anaheim where there's lots of moderate and lower income families, with heavy minority populations. Lots of gang activity as well, it turns out. As I mentioned previously, the images from all the rioting reminded me of Santa Ana's demographics.

In any case, read it all at that top link.

And here's this from the New York Times a couple of days ago, "Fury Reveals Deep Rifts Near 'Happiest Place on Earth'."

PREVIOUSLY: "Social Unrest Exposes Long-Simmering Ethnic Divisions in Anaheim."