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 |
453,782 |
73.73% |
467,351 |
67.02% |
Spanish |
123,603 |
20.08% |
182,412 |
26.16% |
Other Indo-European* |
16,726 |
2.72% |
18,358 |
2.63% |
Asian Language** |
18,930 |
3.08% |
25,412 |
3.64% |
Other |
2,438 |
0.40% |
3,834 |
0.55% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
615,479 |
100.00% |
697,367 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
95,504 |
52.36% |
Other Indo-European* |
4,390 |
23.91% |
Asian Language** |
11,353 |
44.68% |
Other Language |
1,219 |
31.79% |
Total |
112,466 |
16.13% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
64,995 |
52.58% |
Other Indo-European* |
4,034 |
24.12% |
Asian Language** |
8,646 |
45.67% |
Other Language |
709 |
29.08% |
Total |
78,384 |
12.74% |
* "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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