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 |
4,413,193 |
97.11% |
5,059,404 |
95.17% |
Spanish |
49,661 |
1.09% |
133,931 |
2.52% |
Other Indo-European* |
54,408 |
1.20% |
68,879 |
1.30% |
Asian Language** |
21,636 |
0.48% |
39,701 |
0.75% |
Other |
5,845 |
0.13% |
14,005 |
0.26% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
4,544,743 |
100.00% |
5,315,920 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
64,378 |
48.07% |
Other Indo-European* |
19,044 |
27.65% |
Asian Language** |
20,071 |
50.56% |
Other Language |
4,772 |
34.07% |
Total |
108,265 |
2.04% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
17,372 |
34.98% |
Other Indo-European* |
16,239 |
29.85% |
Asian Language** |
10,487 |
48.47% |
Other Language |
1,426 |
24.40% |
Total |
45,524 |
1.00% |
* "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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