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 |
4,570,494 |
96.25% |
4,961,741 |
94.94% |
Spanish |
59,585 |
1.25% |
110,752 |
2.12% |
Other Indo-European* |
85,406 |
1.80% |
97,816 |
1.87% |
Asian Language** |
26,394 |
0.56% |
41,970 |
0.80% |
Other |
6,825 |
0.14% |
13,743 |
0.26% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
4,748,704 |
100.00% |
5,226,022 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
45,990 |
41.53% |
Other Indo-European* |
31,383 |
32.08% |
Asian Language** |
21,210 |
50.54% |
Other Language |
4,436 |
32.28% |
Total |
103,019 |
1.97% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
20,962 |
35.18% |
Other Indo-European* |
27,154 |
31.79% |
Asian Language** |
12,852 |
48.69% |
Other Language |
1,970 |
28.86% |
Total |
62,938 |
1.33% |
* "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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