CensusScope is a product of the Social Science Data Analysis Network.
Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY |
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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 | ||||
| 1990 | 2000 | |||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| Only English | 1,010,355 | 91.27% | 1,007,184 | 91.59% |
| Spanish | 20,772 | 1.88% | 29,699 | 2.70% |
| Other Indo-European* | 65,209 | 5.89% | 48,487 | 4.41% |
| Asian Language** | 6,019 | 0.54% | 8,140 | 0.74% |
| Other | 4,596 | 0.42% | 6,099 | 0.55% |
| Total Population Age 5+ | 1,106,951 | 100.00% | 1,099,609 | 100.00% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 10,875 | 36.62% |
| Other Indo-European* | 14,606 | 30.12% |
| Asian Language** | 3,912 | 48.06% |
| Other Language | 1,990 | 32.63% |
| Total | 31,383 | 2.85% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 8,220 | 39.57% |
| Other Indo-European* | 19,137 | 29.35% |
| Asian Language** | 2,834 | 47.08% |
| Other Language | 1,397 | 30.40% |
| Total | 31,588 | 2.85% |
* "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).
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