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 |
498,550 |
89.70% |
525,673 |
87.43% |
Spanish |
21,000 |
3.78% |
39,247 |
6.53% |
Other Indo-European* |
28,009 |
5.04% |
24,194 |
4.02% |
Asian Language** |
3,638 |
0.65% |
6,343 |
1.05% |
Other |
4,573 |
0.82% |
5,790 |
0.96% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
555,770 |
100.00% |
601,247 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
15,621 |
39.80% |
Other Indo-European* |
6,225 |
25.73% |
Asian Language** |
2,974 |
46.89% |
Other Language |
2,128 |
36.75% |
Total |
26,948 |
4.48% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
9,682 |
46.10% |
Other Indo-European* |
8,211 |
29.32% |
Asian Language** |
1,731 |
47.58% |
Other Language |
1,771 |
38.73% |
Total |
21,395 |
3.85% |
* "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). Home | About | Help | Contact | Use Policy
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