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 |
632,813 |
77.37% |
615,323 |
71.58% |
Spanish |
71,595 |
8.75% |
123,616 |
14.38% |
Other Indo-European* |
85,504 |
10.45% |
84,695 |
9.85% |
Asian Language** |
20,768 |
2.54% |
26,176 |
3.04% |
Other |
7,180 |
0.88% |
9,852 |
1.15% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
817,860 |
100.00% |
859,662 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
63,724 |
51.55% |
Other Indo-European* |
27,907 |
32.95% |
Asian Language** |
12,058 |
46.07% |
Other Language |
2,367 |
24.03% |
Total |
106,056 |
12.34% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
35,863 |
50.09% |
Other Indo-European* |
29,523 |
34.53% |
Asian Language** |
10,863 |
52.31% |
Other Language |
2,029 |
28.26% |
Total |
78,278 |
9.57% |
* "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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