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 |
525,281 |
84.51% |
544,872 |
80.65% |
Spanish |
39,776 |
6.40% |
68,987 |
10.21% |
Other Indo-European* |
47,250 |
7.60% |
44,587 |
6.60% |
Asian Language** |
6,727 |
1.08% |
13,547 |
2.01% |
Other |
2,538 |
0.41% |
3,629 |
0.54% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
621,572 |
100.00% |
675,622 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
32,440 |
47.02% |
Other Indo-European* |
14,323 |
32.12% |
Asian Language** |
7,401 |
54.63% |
Other Language |
989 |
27.25% |
Total |
55,153 |
8.16% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
20,912 |
52.57% |
Other Indo-European* |
14,737 |
31.19% |
Asian Language** |
4,342 |
64.55% |
Other Language |
908 |
35.78% |
Total |
40,899 |
6.58% |
* "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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