Re-Defining Diversity

Latinos make up 76% of the population in Santa Ana where there are at least three different ways to define "diversity." For city planners, diversity means encouraging different types of businesses downtown. "We want diversity in terms of goods and services," says Jay Trevino, executive director of the city's Planning and Building Agency. "We want to make sure it's a downtown for all people. It's about consumers asking themselves, 'Is there a reason for me to go there? Is there a place for me to eat? To buy things I want to buy?'" Others believe the city's plans for diversity means gentrification and replacing mostly Mexican-owned businesses. "The city uses that word, 'diversity,' all the time," said Elsa Gomez, a downtown tax preparer. "When they say it, it means they want to change what's here, and that means relocating people."

At the Mexican consulate, diversity means encouraging people from several different Mexican states to highlight their culture at public celebrations in Santa Ana.

Also, Latino immigrants who aren't from Mexico speak about the city's lack of diversity among its Spanish-speaking population.