During the section on language and health care, Ms. Wong mentioned the importance of knowing what languages are spoken in your communities to ensure that you have the ability to meet the needs of all. Not sure where to find the information? Try the US Census Bureau!
The 2000 Census Summary File 3 has block group data on languages spoken at home (tables P19 and P20, PCT10 through PCT14, PCT62). PCT10 provides the most thorough description of the actual languages spoken at home. The other tables generally use a broader classification (Indo-European languages, Asian and Pacific Island languages, Spanish).
Summary File 3 will also show by race (P6), place of birth by citzenship status (P21), and year of entry for foreign-born population (P22). It is important to remember that the Census Bureau does not list "Hispanic" as a separate race, but rather as an ethnicity. A person can be Hispanic but counted as White or African American. If you need to know data for Hispanics living in your communities, be sure to choose tables that indicate this such as "Hispanic or Latino by Race" (P7).
Why use a block group or Census tract to find your data rather than a zip code? The block group is a smaller geographic area than the Census tract which is generally smaller than the zip code.
Need help finding your block group or Census tract? This handout can help:
Finding Data from the Census Bureau
The 2005 & 2006 American Community Survey also have data on languages spoken at home but only down to the county level for all states. There is subcounty level and school district level data for select states as well.
If you haven't taken the time to explore the vast wealth of data at the Census Bureau, now is a good time. You might find out that you have more Laotian speakers than you realized!
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