CensusScope is a product of the Social Science Data Analysis Network.
Asheville, NC |
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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 | 173,928 | 96.63% | 201,082 | 94.30% |
| Spanish | 2,340 | 1.30% | 6,790 | 3.18% |
| Other Indo-European* | 2,811 | 1.56% | 3,642 | 1.71% |
| Asian Language** | 622 | 0.35% | 1,377 | 0.65% |
| Other | 295 | 0.16% | 341 | 0.16% |
| Total Population Age 5+ | 179,996 | 100.00% | 213,232 | 100.00% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 3,463 | 51.00% |
| Other Indo-European* | 1,286 | 35.31% |
| Asian Language** | 496 | 36.02% |
| Other Language | 102 | 29.91% |
| Total | 5,347 | 2.51% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 811 | 34.66% |
| Other Indo-European* | 771 | 27.43% |
| Asian Language** | 374 | 60.13% |
| Other Language | 109 | 36.95% |
| Total | 2,065 | 1.15% |
* "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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