▁from ▁countries ▁in ▁the ▁former ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁( es pecially ▁Rus si ans ▁and ▁Uk ra ini ans ) ▁form ▁a ▁compar atively ▁large ▁dem ographic ▁in ▁Sp ok ane ▁and ▁Sp ok ane ▁County , ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁infl ux ▁of ▁imm igr ants ▁and ▁their ▁families ▁after ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁Census , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁people ▁of ▁Russian ▁or ▁Ukrain ian ▁ancest ry ▁in ▁Sp ok ane ▁County ▁was ▁reported ▁to ▁be ▁ 7 , 7 0 0 ▁( 4 , 9 0 0 ▁res iding ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Sp ok ane ), ▁amount ing ▁to ▁two ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁county . ▁Among ▁the ▁fast est - g row ing ▁dem ograph ics ▁in ▁Sp ok ane ▁is ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Island er ▁eth nic ▁group , ▁which ▁is ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁third - larg est ▁minor ity ▁group ▁in ▁the ▁county , ▁after ▁the ▁Russian ▁and ▁Ukrain ian ▁community ▁and ▁Lat inos . ▁Sp ok ane ▁was ▁once ▁home ▁to ▁a ▁s izable ▁Asian ▁community , ▁mostly ▁Japanese , ▁centered ▁in ▁a ▁district ▁called ▁Ch in at own ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁As ▁in ▁many ▁western ▁railway ▁towns , ▁the ▁Asian ▁community ▁started ▁off ▁as ▁an ▁enc amp ment ▁for ▁migr ant ▁labor ers ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁rail ro ads . ▁The ▁Ch in at own ▁Asian ▁community ▁th