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 |
596,537 |
88.51% |
625,419 |
84.08% |
Spanish |
29,904 |
4.44% |
56,436 |
7.59% |
Other Indo-European* |
22,646 |
3.36% |
24,753 |
3.33% |
Asian Language** |
16,989 |
2.52% |
20,463 |
2.75% |
Other |
7,927 |
1.18% |
16,780 |
2.26% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
674,003 |
100.00% |
743,851 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
32,775 |
58.07% |
Other Indo-European* |
7,485 |
30.24% |
Asian Language** |
9,556 |
46.70% |
Other Language |
3,927 |
23.40% |
Total |
53,743 |
7.22% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
14,737 |
49.28% |
Other Indo-European* |
6,391 |
28.22% |
Asian Language** |
7,896 |
46.48% |
Other Language |
2,067 |
26.08% |
Total |
31,091 |
4.61% |
* "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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