Why is there so little Ethnic Diversity in Spokane? (Seattle: homes, live in)

[total_genius]

I recently spend some time in Spokane and thought I had gone back in time. It seemed like the 1970s before America was flooded with immigrants and multi culturalism became so hip.

I hardly saw any non whites in Spokane. According to the US Census Whites make up 92% of the population of Spokane Washington. Only 4.5% are foreign born. I am not saying this is good or bad, but it was a different world than what I experience in the DC area and my regular travels in CA.

What do the residents of Spokane think about the lack of ethnic diversity in Spokane. Please no politically correct or racist posts!

[rams]

Why is the sky blue, why is Boise ID 98% white, why does it rain so much in the PNW?

I want to know!!!

[Huckleberry3911948]

DC has had a lot of support and opportunity for AA it has been a model for NAACP goals and aspirations. not as true for spokane. 76% of america is white. i would not go to spokane if i was looking for an avalanche of opportunity.
you go where there is support and mobility.
ps i am none white.

[Deena160]

It's been said multiple times on this forum that Spokane is still really just a big small town. Traditionally, diversity has bloomed in urban areas and then spilled out into the suburbs. Spokane obviously isn't urban enough or close enough to a major urban center(ie: Seattle) to really even be spilled into. In the United States, most of the diversity is around the edges, right? Unfortunately, with five hours, the mountains, and scablands between here and there, Spokane is practically the midwest as far as diversity is concerned. :~) D

[ArcticPhoenix]

Originally Posted by total_genius

I recently spend some time in Spokane and thought I had gone back in time. It seemed like the 1970s before America was flooded with immigrants and multi culturalism became so hip.

I hardly saw any non whites in Spokane. According to the US Census Whites make up 92% of the population of Spokane Washington. Only 4.5% are foreign born. I am not saying this is good or bad, but it was a different world than what I experience in the DC area and my regular travels in CA.

What do the residents of Spokane think about the lack of ethnic diversity in Spokane. Please no politically correct or racist posts!

I think it has a lot to do with who is already here. Think about this for a minute... if you have ties to somewhere, and you're thinking about moving, chances are.. you'll move to where you know people. Now, and this isn't to sound racist or bigoted, but people tend to naturally segregate themselves, and that could also be part of it. That isn't to say that all people do this, but that it is a common trend in mankind... associating with people that are like you is an instinct that has been ingrained into our minds for thousands upon thousands of generations. It essentially ensures your survival, so it has served its purpose... at least up until this point.

I think this is partially why there are so many people from Mexico, per se, in southern California, or Texas, or why there are so many Scandinavians in Minnesota, etc. If you have connections somewhere, that gives you an advantage in more ways than one (economical, social, etc.).

Black people never really emigrated to Spokane in large numbers, and neither has any other major non-white group, really. Yes, there are quite a few American Indian tribes in the area, but to be fair, they were here long before the whites.

In the South, for example, there are states with a significant African American population (like North and South Carolina, for example). There are reasons for this. Some of it probably does have to do with slavery in the 1800s, but moreso these days is simply that.. peoples families live in that area, and you tend to congregate around your family or, again, people that are like you (be that "like"ness be Christian, Black, Republican, whatever).

As far as what I think about it... meh. I've more important things to do than wonder why there are so few Black people in the area, why there are so few Hispanics in the area, so few Jews, etc. It's not one of the things I spend my time thinking about.

But, you look at the Yakima area, and there are a lot of Hispanics, particularly from Mexico. This is partially because of the migrant work that's based on the agricultural economy that supports much of central and southern Washington state. There's a reason why so many went there. Some went there for work, found work, and then others came. People tend to leave places, and go to places, within waves of other people like them. Whether it was the Africans being taken to the South against their will, the Irish fleeing their homeland because of famine, or people moving to Phoenix for the work opportunities, people moving to Los Angeles for better jobs, etc.... people tend to move with other people like themselves. This certainly isn't always the case, but from what I've seen this is often times a reasonable assertion, and it usually isn't necessarily a conscious decision.

Here's a prime example. I grew up in West Virginia. I know a LOT of people that went to North Carolina looking for work. Now, these people didn't necessarily know each other, but they all saw the same opportunity because many of their experiences and backgrounds tied them together, so many of them moved to the same general area in North Carolina for the same reason. Their reason was economical opportunity, but this isn't the only reason people leave their homes and go elsewhere.

So, bottom line is, Eastern Washington has never seen an influx of immigration from a wide range of peoples, and that's simply... the way it's been.

[Yeledaf]

Spokane is too cold.

[Bohemian Girl]

We have lived here 4 years and everytime my mom comes to visit she feels like she is back in the 70's. it is the weirdest city and i still haven't gotten used to it. i am originally from houston and san antonio where it is so diverse. i suppose there isn't anything appealing about the city to a more diverse culture. it is a very outdoorsy place.

[GameHog9]

Deena is right.

Its Spokane, not NYC.

[dannyinspokane]

I think it is a fair enough question. but I think the obvious answer is that Spokane is not a huge metropolis like D.C or many California big cities where diversity is much greater. but Spokane has come a long way already. go back and look at the percentage of whites in Spokane in the 70's and 80's it was more like 96-98%. as Spokane has attracted people from the bigger cities our diversity has changed and will continue to do so. I mean think about it. D.C is the U.S Capitol and as such it brings people from all over this country and the world to visit and work there. of course the diversity is going to be far greater in cities like D.C and L.A. Spokane welcomes people of any race or nationality to visit or move to Spokane. it offers many things the huge cities cannot and as many people choose to move here the ethnic diversity will continue to change.

[lilac]

I agree with dannyinspokane... I've only been here just over 5.5 years and I'm already seeing a difference in the diversity. I'm an LA transplant and I'm considered a minority in this city, but have adjusted quite well to my new environment. I don't know if it's cuz I'm more aware/alert now or what, but I see a lot more Asians now than I used to.