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 |
312,143 |
96.57% |
317,025 |
94.47% |
Spanish |
4,426 |
1.37% |
9,681 |
2.88% |
Other Indo-European* |
3,823 |
1.18% |
4,685 |
1.40% |
Asian Language** |
1,764 |
0.55% |
3,186 |
0.95% |
Other |
1,064 |
0.33% |
989 |
0.29% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
323,220 |
100.00% |
335,566 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
4,281 |
44.22% |
Other Indo-European* |
1,171 |
24.99% |
Asian Language** |
1,456 |
45.70% |
Other Language |
304 |
30.74% |
Total |
7,212 |
2.15% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
1,444 |
32.63% |
Other Indo-European* |
1,100 |
28.77% |
Asian Language** |
824 |
46.71% |
Other Language |
194 |
18.23% |
Total |
3,562 |
1.10% |
* "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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