When Ky Ngo got a look at new U.S. Census numbers released this week, he liked what he saw.

The number of Asians in Orange County nearly tripled during the 1980s, making them the fast-growing ethnic group in the region. In strongholds such as Westminster and Garden Grove, one of every five people is Asian. La Palma's Asian population swelled to 31% over the decade.

All that was good news for a political junkie like Ngo.

"I think we are looking for 1992 and the Vietnamese can be involved with politics," said Ngo, chairman of the Vietnamese-American Political Action Committee and a delegate to the 1988 Republican National Convention. "I think with the Vietnamese population in Orange County, many candidates can run for city council."

Others politicos and elected officials might disagree with the timetable, but they can hardly argue that the new census numbers bode well for the future prospects of Asians, Hispanics and other minority candidates seeking elected posts in Orange County.

Hispanics, in particular, seem poised to exert newfound political power in the 1990s with far greater numbers of formidable political candidates. Countywide, nearly one in four people is Hispanic, double the percentage in 1980.

"We're going to be seeing more and more Hispanics elected to political office," predicted Harvey Englander, a Costa Mesa-based political consultant. "There are more and more appeals being made to Hispanic voters these days. Because of that sort of thing, we're on the verge of seeing more elected."

While the greatest inroads are expected in ethnic strongholds such as Santa Ana, where 65% of the population is Hispanic, gains could also be made in traditional white bastions such as Anaheim, where one person in three is now Hispanic.

The Hispanic population has also surged in some of the upscale South County communities. San Juan Capistrano saw the number of Hispanics skyrocket 178% during the decade, with the total now representing 22% of the population.

Already, Hispanic candidates have proved successful in pockets of the county that are almost exclusively white.

"It's not just the Hispanic community becoming aware, but the majority of society realizing that our agendas are not really different just because we're Hispanic," suggested Victoria Jaffe, who helped shepherd the successful incorporation of Mission Viejo and later served on the council.