New Faces, Accents Reshaping County

But it isn't all small business. Six of the country's 100 largest African American-owned companies are headquartered in Fairfax, according to Black Enterprise magazine. They include Thompson Hospitality, the food service firm, and RS Information Systems, a major federal IT contractor. Eleven of the largest Hispanic-owned businesses, such as MVM Inc., a multinational security contractor, also make their home in the county, according to Hispanic Business magazine.

Diversity's geography in Fairfax is shifting as well, spreading beyond the well-known enclaves, such as Koreans in Annandale, Hispanics in Baileys Crossroads, Vietnamese in Seven Corners and African Americans in Gum Springs -- where freed black slaves settled before the Civil War.

This month, over environmental concerns expressed by the county planning staff, the Board of Supervisors approved a proposal by the 4,500-member Korean Central Presbyterian Church to build a massive home along Route 29 in Centreville. The first phase calls for a 2,000-seat sanctuary, a 500-seat chapel, a nursery school and a K-through-2 elementary school.

"The diversity is moving west," said Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully), who voiced support for the proposal.

But the story of diversity in Fairfax has another side. It is also about fear and resentment of the "Others." Those seeking to sink deeper roots here often hit rocks.

Herndon's debate over the establishment of a publicly funded day labor center, to help immigrant workers connect with employers, made it a flash point in the national debate over who comes to the United States, how and why. It triggered the intervention of such groups as the Minutemen.

Trinh Linh, director of the Springfield office of the Vietnamese Voters League, has lived in Fairfax since 1982 but said there has always been a palpable chill compared with her first American home in West Hartford, Conn.

"Here, it is another story," she said. "I used to say, 'Hi,' and no one would even look at me," Trinh said. "Here, people are facing you on the street and they just walk right by."

Trinh also said it has been difficult to persuade people in her community to become more active in the county, principally because of the perception that they are not welcome.

"There's a feeling that it is hard to get involved," she said.

A few years ago, the county surveyed eight immigrant communities with children in public schools. They included households where Spanish, Korean, Kurdish and Farsi were spoken.

More than 90 percent of each group said they regarded Fairfax County as their home. Just as many said they were willing to volunteer time to improve their neighborhoods.