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 |
981,130 |
76.58% |
1,035,292 |
66.00% |
Spanish |
228,238 |
17.82% |
434,445 |
27.69% |
Other Indo-European* |
29,479 |
2.30% |
31,267 |
1.99% |
Asian Language** |
35,713 |
2.79% |
57,641 |
3.67% |
Other |
6,589 |
0.51% |
10,080 |
0.64% |
Total Population Age 5+ |
1,281,149 |
100.00% |
1,568,725 |
100.00% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
201,771 |
46.44% |
Other Indo-European* |
8,670 |
27.73% |
Asian Language** |
26,867 |
46.61% |
Other Language |
3,241 |
32.15% |
Total |
240,549 |
15.33% |
Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990
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Language Spoken at Home: |
Number |
Percent |
Spanish |
102,047 |
44.71% |
Other Indo-European* |
8,033 |
27.25% |
Asian Language** |
17,858 |
50.00% |
Other Language |
1,968 |
29.87% |
Total |
129,906 |
10.14% |
* "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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