Concord: Culturally diverse but still connected
(Editor’s Note:) This is the second in a series on the growth and development of Concord. In this issue, we look at who lives in Concord; the people and lifestyle. Next, we’ll look at where people live and why.
In 1834, Don Salvio Pacheco received an 18,000-acre land grant from the Mexican government, which owned California at the time. Thirty years later, he and Francisco Galindo, his son-in-law, created a little town right in the middle of the rancho, calling it Todos Santos.
To populate their town, they enticed settlers from nearby Pacheco to come to Todos Santos by giving them free land. Concord city councilman Edi Birsan calls this “affirmative action by the Mexicans to get the white guys here.”
Within months, the town’s name magically changed to Concord and the demographic journey began.
Today that small town is the largest city in Contra Costa County boasting a thriving and lively scene that is filled with diversity and opportunity.
Ethnic and cultural changes
The town has also taken on a cultural mix that is both Concord’s greatest strength and its biggest challenge.
Sit for 20 minutes on any afternoon in Todos Santos Plaza. Within earshot, one can pick up five or six different languages. The city is home to a wide array of ethnic groups that bond because of culture, not geography, creating a challenge for a city trying to build a strong community identity.
Concord’s explosive growth has come since WWII. After the war, people came because Concord had jobs and housing. They came with no-down-payment VA loans, easy FHA financing and decent jobs. The housing “tracts” started popping up all over town — Colony Park, Holbrook, Glenbrook, Canterbury Village, Dana Estates, Clayton Valley Highlands — and continued until Concord’s population swelled from 6,900 in 1950 to today’s 123,000 souls of all colors and cultures.
In the 1950 census, races were categorized only by Native White, Foreign-born White, Negro, and Other Races (Indians, Japanese and Chinese), and White Persons of Spanish Surname; nothing for Hispanic or Latino. And the town was 94.3 percent white.
In 1960, the census added a line for Filipino; still no Hispanic count and whites were now 99 percent of the population.
Fifty years later, those numbers are dramatically different. Hispanics make up a third of Concord’s population. At 11 percent, Asian’s are the city’s fastest growing ethnic group; non-whites, multi-racial and other races are 25 percent of the population and whites now account for just 63 percent.
A rapid influx of any ethnicity can challenge a city’s resources both in the short- and the long-term. Eric Moldonado, the Community Government Relations Director for Travis Credit Union and a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, says that it can often be difficult for ethnic groups to relate and assimilate in certain situations.
“The makeup of the Concord City Council has not shifted to reflect Concord’s diverse population,” he notes. “This could be improved.”
Council member Birsan agrees. All but three of the last 50 council members live or have lived in the affluent and mainly white 94521 ZIP code, says Birsan. “I’m the only member of the council that can walk to Monument Boulevard.”
A popular city
Nevertheless, most Concordians are happy with their city.
A March survey conducted by Godbe Research showed that an astounding 80 percent of residents rated their quality of life either “excellent” or “good.” Additionally, 83 percent were “very or somewhat satisfied” with the job that the city is doing in providing city services.
“For a city this size, we don’t feel like a city this size,” says city council member Laura Hoffmeister. “It still has that neighborhood feel and it’s a clean community, where crime is relatively low compared to other communities.”
Crime is always a concern in a big city and Concord is no exception. Hoffmeister blames the meteoric rise of social media for feeding a negative perception.
“Some of the things that have always been happening in the community are just now more prevalent and available to the community to know about,” she says. “We want people to know what’s happening so they can keep a look out. But at the same time, when they say ‘We never ran into that in the past,’ they’re wrong. It was still there.”
Public perception has been a frustrating hurdle to overcome. Statistics clearly show a continuous drop in crime since 2000, but Concord Police Chief Guy Swanger says that people simply aren’t aware of these great gains.
“We’re actually doing really good work,” he says. “There are so many good things happening regarding public safety in our community, but how we market that is really that next step for us.”
The perception that Concord has a big gang problem is simply not true, adds Councilman Edi Birsan. “We’ve got to get the word out about gangs because it keeps showing up. It’s the biggest fear factor people have and it just doesn’t exist here in Concord.”
Recent years in Concord have seen a boom of sorts in restaurant, retail and entertainment activity, which adds to the appeal of the town for many folks. With new restaurants in the Willows Shopping Center, city-sponsored events in Todos Santos Park, the array of international eateries and markets in the Park-n-Shop center, and new and refreshed car dealerships lining the Market Street and Concord Avenue areas, residents have few complaints about malaise. There has also been a concerted effort to revitalize the Monument Corridor area. Giving support to current businesses and adding new ventures that may be positive for the local economy is strengthening the entire corridor.
Paul Arendsee, a local realtor who migrated to Concord from Hercules 10 years ago, is very pleased with the progress the town has made since his arrival and he has no complaints about finding things to do around town. “It’s nice that the restaurants in Concord have become more and more quality,” he says. “I like what they’ve done with Todos Santos. There’s just something about that plaza. You go there and there’s just a family aura. It feels like a fun place to go and there’s plenty of places to eat, have coffee and just sit and relax. It just feels like home.”
Is Concord a melting pot?
“No,” says Clayton Pioneer publisher and 60-year Concord/Clayton resident Bob Steiner. “In a melting pot, everything tastes the same. Throw some gouda, some cheddar, some feta in a pot, heat it up and when it’s done, it’s just cheese.”
He equates Concord to a tossed salad. “A big bowl with radishes, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, all cut up together. Toss them with a little vinegar and oil and you have a salad sharing a bowl. But, everything keeps its own taste, color and texture.”
And there is Concord’s challenge, says Birsan. “For us all to live in concordance.”