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 |
542,725 |
86.40% |
622,997 |
74.58% |
Spanish |
56,646 |
9.02% |
144,579 |
17.31% |
Other Indo-European* |
19,038 |
3.03% |
45,145 |
5.40% |
Asian Language** |
7,579 |
1.21% |
17,449 |
2.09% |
Other |
2,172 |
0.35% |
5,117 |
0.61% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
628,160 |
100.00% |
835,287 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
59,817 |
41.37% |
Other Indo-European* |
17,092 |
37.86% |
Asian Language** |
8,731 |
50.04% |
Other Language |
1,629 |
31.84% |
Total |
87,269 |
10.45% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
23,973 |
42.32% |
Other Indo-European* |
5,895 |
30.96% |
Asian Language** |
3,663 |
48.33% |
Other Language |
575 |
26.47% |
Total |
34,106 |
5.43% |
* "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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