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 |
640,253 |
85.62% |
635,369 |
82.33% |
Spanish |
39,373 |
5.27% |
67,314 |
8.72% |
Other Indo-European* |
59,793 |
8.00% |
53,102 |
6.88% |
Asian Language** |
5,569 |
0.74% |
11,523 |
1.49% |
Other |
2,774 |
0.37% |
4,450 |
0.58% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
747,762 |
100.00% |
771,758 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
28,831 |
42.83% |
Other Indo-European* |
18,448 |
34.74% |
Asian Language** |
5,089 |
44.16% |
Other Language |
1,351 |
30.36% |
Total |
53,719 |
6.96% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
18,296 |
46.47% |
Other Indo-European* |
19,191 |
32.10% |
Asian Language** |
2,140 |
38.43% |
Other Language |
769 |
27.72% |
Total |
40,396 |
5.40% |
* "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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