Dixon's Hispanic Population Rises, Changes Town Dynamics

By Sarah Herrera
Dixon Patch Correspondent

When Taide Shaw moved to Dixon in 1978, there was only one Mexican food restaurant in town. The markets in town did not carry Hispanic food items in their aisles, so looking for ingredients to make Mexican dishes was a challenge. 

Shaw moved to the United States from Guadalajara, Mexico when she was 20-years-old. She wanted to escape the noise and traffic of the city, so she settled in Dixon.  She was attracted to the quietness of the community and how people in Dixon embraced her.

Shaw and her husband, Ken Shaw, have owned in Dixon for the past two years.

Back in March, the U.S. Census Bureau released data that the Hispanic population of Dixon has increased to 40 percent of the town’s population. The increase is a rise of 6 percent in the past 10 years.

“I think Hispanics are attracted to the strong family ties in Dixon,” Ken Shaw said.

Shaw Family Restaurant is located just down the street from   According to Father Carlos Farfan, the community did not have a Hispanic priest until he arrived five years ago.

Father Farfan has seen a tremendous growth in the Hispanic community since his arrival.  The church has established more bilingual church services and programs for youth.  They also offer more bible studies and spiritual programs in Spanish.

Father Farfan said the Hispanic community is working with the rest of the community on collaborative efforts like the food bank project, which feeds 50 Dixon families.

Mayor Jack Batchelor said Hispanics have been outstanding contributors to the Dixon community in the past 10 years. Currently, Hispanics serve on the city’s Planning and Parks and Recreations Commissions.

“Obviously our community, and I’m very excited about it, is becoming a more diverse community,” said Batchelor. “I believe diversity is what makes California great and diversity is what makes our nation great.”

Dixon has a strong agricultural industry that provides opportunities to work on ranches. In addition to the agriculture business, Dixon also has more businesses like Cardinal Health and Wal-Mart that provide more opportunities for work.

Ken Shaw said that the work isn’t the only thing bringing more Hispanic families to Dixon, but they are attracted to the same sense of community that he and Taide encountered when they first visited the town.

“The Mexican community is a tight-knit group of people and they have a high standard of living for the most part,” Ken Shaw said. “They look out for each other and make sure that everyone is accounted for. They pay attention to their kids. The cause of this is that you end up with a better community. If anything, it (the growth) has been an improvement to the community.”

Dixon has a diverse community, but Hispanics are able to retain their identity in the town, Batchelor said.

“I think it’s important that regardless of your ethnicity you keep your culture and blend that with the culture of Dixon and culture of California because our country is made up of diverse culture,” said Batchelor.

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