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 |
1,726,619 |
74.92% |
1,752,737 |
66.96% |
Spanish |
370,386 |
16.07% |
573,649 |
21.91% |
Other Indo-European* |
65,110 |
2.83% |
80,143 |
3.06% |
Asian Language** |
128,830 |
5.59% |
185,810 |
7.10% |
Other |
13,703 |
0.59% |
25,379 |
0.97% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
2,304,648 |
100.00% |
2,617,718 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
273,578 |
47.69% |
Other Indo-European* |
21,991 |
27.44% |
Asian Language** |
86,320 |
46.46% |
Other Language |
9,741 |
38.38% |
Total |
391,630 |
14.96% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
179,422 |
48.44% |
Other Indo-European* |
17,492 |
26.87% |
Asian Language** |
62,274 |
48.34% |
Other Language |
5,085 |
37.11% |
Total |
264,273 |
11.47% |
* "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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