Immigrants make waves in recall race

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- In a state where one out of four people comes from another country, many of the better-known candidates for governor in California's Oct. 7 recall election are immigrants or children or grandchildren of immigrants.

An Austrian-born movie star, a political commentator from Greece, the grandson of a Mexican immigrant, a first-generation Venezuelan-American and a Vietnamese-born radio host are among those seeking to replace Gov. Gray Davis.

While the reaction from some immigrants is one of pride, it remains to be seen whether that will translate into votes.

"It does give me hope. Whenever you have someone of color running for public office, it's encouraging," said Omar Zaki of Riverside, whose family emigrated from Egypt. He said a candidate's ethics and character are among the issues he considers most important.

California has an estimated 9.1 million immigrants, about 26 percent of the state's population, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. Immigrants and children born to immigrants account for all of the growth in California's population since the 2000 census, according to the re-search group's findings.

So when immigrants see candidates such as actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (Austria) or political commentator Arianna Huffington (Greece) speaking with foreign accents, "it's an attractive feature to many," said Wei Ming Dariotis, a professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University.

Other candidates with immigrant connections are the Green Party's Peter Camejo, a first-generation Venezuelan-American; radio talk show host Van Vo, a former South Vietnamese navy officer; and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the grandson of a Mexican immigrant. Bustamante could become the first Hispanic governor of California in more than a century.

"I think it gets you in the door. It's a resource that establishes a shared background or fate," said Louis DeSipio, a scholar at the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, a nonpartisan Hispanic think tank at the University of Southern California. "But you have to prove there's more than a shared background. You have to prove you have a shared political belief."

Orman Romaso, who emigrated from the Ukraine to Sacramento 13 years ago, said he is taking a close look at Sch-warzenegger's candidacy. But he said the actor's positions on the issues interest him more than his immigrant status.

"He's concerned about after-school programs and education. This is very important for our community," said Romaso, 51. "It doesn't matter if immigrant or American. What matters is a good governor."

Elizabeth Cardiel of Norwalk said a candidate's position on Hispanic issues would influence her decision.

"Latinos, once they decide to vote, are going to make sure they have a governor who speaks for them," said the 23-year-old Democrat and child of immigrants. "We are a big portion of this state, so I'm definitely going to be looking for someone who will do something for our people because I'm Latina, as well."

Others questioned whether the recall election would have much impact on some communities of recently arrived immigrants.

"The older generation has a very limited English proficiency. It's hard for them to understand what the candidates stand for," said Teng Houa, 30, a Hmong immigrant who lives in Merced and works as a job counselor for Hmong and Laotian immigrants.