FOCUS : MELTING POT CALLED SANTA ANA OFFERS DIVERSITY, INDUSTRY

While the city of Santa Ana likes to bill itself as an “All-American” town, it is clear that in neighborhoods like Santa Ana Gardens, the culture of another land is tightly woven into the fabric of this predominantly Latino community. An old, mustachioed gentleman in a well-worn straw hat and softly colored serape strides down the street. On a nearby corner a small, family-owned mercado (market) advertises its wares in Spanish. Scenes like these help create an impression of the Gardens as a place that derives its identity solely from its ties to a distinct cultural past. Yet that’s not the whole story.

First developed in the mid-1950s, Santa Ana Gardens has, in recent years, seen the number of its Latino residents swell by more than 45% while other population groups have declined. Clearly, homeowners have been drawn by the cultural homogeneity of the community, but with current home prices in the $120,000-$239,000 range, affordable housing has also been an attraction. Many of the homes are also within walking distance of Centennial Regional Park--87 grassy acres that include a lake stocked with catfish, blue gill and perch, two softball diamonds, a sprinkling of picnic tables and shelters, and an open meadow for weekend soccer and football enthusiasts.

Just south of Centennial, parks of a decidedly industrial nature stretch for blocks along the Santa Ana River. One of two major manufacturing districts in the city, the area is host to about 200 companies. Dreary, flat-top buildings housing everything from plastics to parachute makers, electronics to shower-stall manufacturers, squat side by side as mammoth 18-wheelers rumble past. Given the rather no-nonsense nature of the area, the presence here of the Discovery Museum comes as something of a revelation.

Crowned by a lacy, wrought-iron widows walk, this elegant Victorian mansion houses a nonprofit museum with a historic but definitely hands-on approach to life at the turn of the century. The Kellogg House, as it is also known, was built in 1898 by the county’s first civil engineer, Hiram Clay Kellogg, who blended whimsy with practicality in the construction of his residence. In place of the more traditional stone lions, Kellogg chose a pair of snarling, California grizzlies (they have been removed for future restoration) to stand guard at the paved entry. Inside the home, a redwood spiral staircase was designed to be both beautiful and functional as it circulates air through the core of the house.

For younger visitors to the museum, though, the architecture usually takes a back seat in importance to the exhibits filling two floors. Children will delight in cranking up one of the early Bell telephones, or pumping the old treadle sewing machine. Replicas of fashionable bonnets, gowns and long coats can also be modeled by modern day clothes horses. The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $1 for adults and 50 cents for children 12 or younger. For more information, call (714) 540-0404.

Population Population: (1988 est.) 7,563 1980-88 change: +19.6% Median age: 26.8 Racial/ethnic mix: White: (non-Latino) 25% Latino: 61% Black: 4% Other: 10% MALES: Median age: 26.0 years FEMALES: Median age: 27.4 years

Income Per capita: $7,177 Median household: $31,732 Average household: $31,660 Household distribution: Less than $25,000: 33% $50,000-74,999: 20% $25,000-49,999: 44% $75,000: 3%