Vietnamese, Russian and Chinese are the three most commonly spoken languages in Oregon other than English and Spanish, per new census data.
Why it matters: The myriad languages spoken here reflect both the settlement and colonization of centuries long past, as well as more modern immigration patterns.
By the numbers: While Spanish is far and away the predominant non-English language in Oregon, with roughly 350,000 speakers, putting it aside offers insight into other groups and population centers around the country.
More than 27,000 Oregonians speak Vietnamese, 22,000 speak Russian and 18,000 speak Chinese.
Between the lines: Many multilingual people speak one language at home with family, but use English at work, school and elsewhere.
Nationwide, just over 60% of people who speak a language other than English at home also say they speak English "very well," per the census data.