AGENCY HELPS MIGRANTS ADJUST LEADER SEES NEW ROLE AS INTEGRATING CULTURES.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

In her first month on the job, Nora Vargas said she is still learning both the benefits and pitfalls of running the new Los Angeles Office of Immigrant Affairs.

Vargas said she has tried to avoid the debate over whether the agency serves to attract more illegal immigrants, and instead is focusing on ways to smooth the clash of cultures in the nation's most diverse city.

``We have people from all over the world trying to fit together here,'' she said. ``My job is to try to find a way the city can help.

``There are the language issues - that remains the biggest problem. But, it's also just a simple thing like letting people know what services are available, that they can call someone to pick up their trash and not just dispose of it somewhere.''

Vargas, a former political consultant and vice president of governmental and political affairs for Planned Parenthood in Orange and San Bernardino counties, was hired in November after the City Council created the two-person operation as an arm of the Mayor's Office.

``We needed to have something within the Mayor's Office to give it greater authority,'' said Councilman Eric Garcetti, whose proposal created the agency, which is modeled after those in other major cities.

``I didn't think this would work if it was part of something like the Human Relations Department or some other agency,'' Garcetti said. ``As part of the Mayor's Office, it has the weight of that authority to get departments to respond.''

Garcetti said he does not expect to see concrete results from the department for several months - after Vargas and her assistant meet with the more than 100 immigrant groups in the city.

``When people think of immigrants, usually they think of people from Mexico,'' Garcetti said. ``That's only part of it. We have huge populations from every part of the world. We have 50,000 people from Camaroon alone - and that's just one group.''

Vargas said she hopes to come up with specific recommendations in the near future.

``A lot of it is integrating cultures,'' Vargas said. ``People bring their own customs here and, sometimes, that creates problems. We want to work with the different groups to make them understand one another.

``One of the great things has been in working with the different community groups, officials and agencies and get them to understand and address the needs of people we serve. We have a great opportunity here to increase understanding.''

Ira Mehlman of the Federation of American Immigration Reform said his group has no problems with helping those who are in the country legally.

``Our concern is that this is like a magnet for illegal immigration - that once you start offering services, it will bring other people here,'' Mehlman said.

``Immigrants who are here legally deserve all the services that government provides. But, the city doesn't enforce immigration laws and our concern is that this is something that makes it easier for illegal immigrants to come here.''

Vargas said she has heard the criticism.

``Our job is to make sure services are provided to the people who need it,'' Vargas said. ``We are trying to find ways to get people who are not from our country to understand what it is like to live here.''

Rick Orlov, [phone]

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com