Understanding Orange County: Trends Shaping Our Communities
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California hosted Understanding Orange County: Trends Shaping Our Communities on May 26, 2026, a cross-sector convening focused on the demographic, civic, health, and community trends shaping communities. Sponsored by Cal State Fullerton and held in AJSOCAL’s new Community Room in Anaheim, the event brought together community organizations, institutional stakeholders and other leaders for a conversation on how data can inform policy, resources, and civic engagement.
The event underscored the importance of using data not just to describe Orange County, but to better serve it. Watch the full event below.
June Lim, Ph.D., Managing Director of AJSOCAL’s Demographic Research Project, shared key trends shaping Orange County’s AAPI communities, including rentership, language access, income, poverty, housing affordability, immigration, and geography. In a county where Asian Americans make up more than a quarter of the population, Dr. Lim emphasized that communities experience very different realities, reinforcing the need for disaggregated data to guide services, outreach, advocacy, and policy decisions.
Priscilla Huang, J.D., of the Center for Asian Americans in Action, discussed emerging health access challenges, including how changes to Medi-Cal eligibility, immigrant health coverage, and Covered California subsidies could create new barriers for AANHPI immigrants and families who rely on these programs for care.
Dean Jon Gould, Ph.D., J.D., of the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, shared findings from the UCI-OC Poll that speak to Orange County’s shifting political and civic landscape. His presentation highlighted the central role of Asian American voters in the county’s ongoing transition and underscored that AAPI communities are not a monolith. One key finding showed that 82% of Asian American registered voters reported that both parents were born abroad, pointing to the county’s changing demographic, social, economic, and political future.
The program also featured Dean Natalie Tran, Ph.D., of Cal State Fullerton’s College of Education, who moderated a discussion connecting the presentations to broader questions around equity, civic participation, education, and community impact.
In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, the convening also highlighted local AAPI food and beverage businesses. Guests enjoyed coffee and drinks from Owlverick’s Coffee, founded by Amy Tang and her husband and rooted in a family coffee-roasting tradition that began with Amy’s grandfather in Vietnam. The event also featured baked goods from Crema Artisan Bakers, founded by Tarit Tanjasiri, who grew up in Thailand and built Crema from a Seal Beach café into an artisan bakery known for handcrafted breads and French pastries.
