CensusScope is a product of the Social Science Data Analysis Network.
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LANGUAGE
The Census asks questions about language use at home to locate groups of people who speak a language other than English. Their isolation or integration into a primarily English speaking community can be determined by their ability to speak English proficiently.
Language Spoken at Home, 1990-2000
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1990 |
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2000 |
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Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
Only English |
384,762 |
97.10% |
417,612 |
95.60% |
Spanish |
4,478 |
1.13% |
9,151 |
2.09% |
Other Indo-European* |
4,736 |
1.20% |
6,199 |
1.42% |
Asian Language** |
1,757 |
0.44% |
3,179 |
0.73% |
Other |
534 |
0.13% |
708 |
0.16% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
396,267 |
100.00% |
436,849 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
3,552 |
38.82% |
Other Indo-European* |
1,964 |
31.68% |
Asian Language** |
1,581 |
49.73% |
Other Language |
196 |
27.68% |
Total |
7,293 |
1.67% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
1,530 |
34.17% |
Other Indo-European* |
1,382 |
29.18% |
Asian Language** |
858 |
48.83% |
Other Language |
160 |
29.96% |
Total |
3,930 |
0.99% |
* "Other Indo-European" excludes English and Spanish. "Indo-European" is not synonymous with "European." French, German, Hindi, and Persian are all classified as Indo-European. Hungarian, on the other hand, is lumped into "Other Language."
** "Asian Language" includes languages indigenous to Asia and Pacific islands areas that are not also Indo-European languages. Chinese, Japanese, Telugu, and Hawaiian are all classified here.
Also note that ability to speak English "very well" is based on the self-assessment of those responding to Census questions, not on a test of language ability.
Source: Census 2000 analyzed by the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN). Home | About | Help | Contact | Use Policy
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