Though there is a working-class Democratic tradition in the 38th (and a Democratic registration advantage), blue-collar conservatism often will shift the area toward Republican candidates. Horn beat his Democratic opponent 49 percent to 43 percent in 1992, and he was comfortably re-elected in 1994. But Bill Clinton managed to beat George Bush here 45 percent to 34 percent.

Long Beach, along the coast, is the world's second-largest port and by far the largest city in the district with 429,000 residents. All but the western end is within the 38th. About a quarter of the city's residents are Hispanic, and more than half are non-Hispanic whites. The remaining quarter are a rainbow of ethnicities: Some four dozen languages are spoken in the Long Beach Unified School District's schools. Overall, the district is about one-fourth Hispanic, 9 percent Asian and 8 percent black.

The beautiful Queen Mary is docked here, and the Long Beach Naval Shipyard employs thousands across Southern California; locals are ever-watchful about the shipyard's status in an era of defense downsizing. While important, the shipyard is just part of the 38th's industrial landscape. Aerospace plants extend along the flat, brown land, sharing space with fuel tanks and oil wells. In the older homes of Long Beach are the descendants of the fishermen and sailors of many European nationalities who settled here.

The southwestern side of Long Beach suffered in the April 1992 riots that ripped through the Los Angeles area. More than 400 fires were reported, more than 300 people were injured and at least one person was killed. Much of the damage was along the Pacific Coast Highway and in the city's Cambodian area along Anaheim Street.

Downey, a middle to upper-middle-income city of 91,000 at the district's northern tip, has a Republican lean. The city houses Rockwell's huge aerospace plant (where the space shuttle is manufactured) on its south end, as well as many of the high-tech workers who are employed there. While Rockwell is still a major employer, employment levels have dropped off dramatically from their peaks of yesteryear.

Just south of Downey is Paramount, a blue-collar city of 48,000. About 60 percent of Paramount's residents are Hispanic, far higher levels than are found elsewhere in the 38th. The city has high unemployment and high crime rates.

Directly east of Paramount is Bellflower, a quiet bedroom city of 62,000 that is similar to Downey. It has no industry that compares with Rockwell.

More than half of Lakewood's 74,000 residents are in the 38th. This community, just south of Bellflower, was built all at once after World War II to house veterans and other workers who came to the area to work in the aerospace industry and decided to stay. One of the city's claims to fame is the Lakewood Center Mall, one of America's first shopping malls.