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 |
411,789 |
87.15% |
464,971 |
78.61% |
Spanish |
30,759 |
6.51% |
76,049 |
12.86% |
Other Indo-European* |
21,643 |
4.58% |
32,238 |
5.45% |
Asian Language** |
6,799 |
1.44% |
15,710 |
2.66% |
Other |
1,518 |
0.32% |
2,551 |
0.43% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
472,508 |
100.00% |
591,519 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
42,631 |
56.06% |
Other Indo-European* |
9,467 |
29.37% |
Asian Language** |
6,282 |
39.99% |
Other Language |
586 |
22.97% |
Total |
58,966 |
9.97% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
15,420 |
50.13% |
Other Indo-European* |
5,608 |
25.91% |
Asian Language** |
2,583 |
37.99% |
Other Language |
373 |
24.57% |
Total |
23,984 |
5.08% |
* "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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