Here from the Start

Here from the Start is a 30 minute documentary coming in 2025 about Spokane's Historic International District and the people who have been a part of it since the 19th century. Over the past year and a half of research, using history books and archival materials, I've learned more about who inhabited the neighborhood and the causes of its ultimate demolition. 

Initially built by the Chinese immigrants who came to work on the railroad, Spokane's Historic International District once consisted of Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Jewish, Yugoslavian, and others. Many of these residents were marginalized by the dominant European-American society. They made the district their home and built lives for themselves in this neighborhood, coexisting as a vibrant community of minorities.