Asian/Pacific Islander Languages Spoken by English Learners (ELs)

Fact In 2012, the Asian/Pacific Islander population was the nation's fastest-growing racial or ethnic group. Between 2011 and 2012, the number of Asian/Pacific Islanders rose by 580,000 (2.9 percent) to 20.3 million. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2012.

Top 10 Most Common Asian/Pacific Islander Languages Spoken Among ELs: SY 2011-12 100 89 90 79

80 Fact 70 In SY 2011-12, 89,000 ELs 60 reported speaking Chinese, 50 40 the most common of the top 40 10 Asian/Pacific Islander 30 languages spoken by ELs. 20 Thousands speakers of Thousands 9 8 6 10 3 3 2 2 0

Source: Consolidated State Performance Report, SY 2011-12.

Largest Percentage of ELs Who Were Asian/Pacific Islander, by State: 2008-12

Hawaii 87% Fact Montana 35% Although Asian/Pacific Islanders comprise only 5 Alaska 35% percent of the U.S. Virginia 21% population, Asian/Pacific Islander ELs accounted for Maryland 21% over 15 percent of the EL 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% population in 17 states.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008-12. Estimates generated by NCELA using Census DataFerrett.

FEBRUARY 2015 Numbers of Reported EL Speakers of Top Three Asian/Pacific Islander Languages: SY 2006-07 through 2011-12

100,000 88,798 90,000 76,857 80,000 85,683 85,645 85,252 Fact 82,233 70,000 79,021 Three of the top five EL 60,000 51,536 68,743 68,563 65,337 languages most commonly 50,000 54,416 reported by states 49,451 40,000 46,311 between SY 2006-07 and 30,000 39,566 41,480 40,445 33,788 SY 2011-12 were 20,000 Number of EL Speakers Asian/Pacific Islander 10,000 languages (Chinese, 0 Vietnamese, and Hmong). 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 School year

Chinese Vietnamese Hmong

Note: Figures reflect the combined number of speakers of a language in states where that language was one of the state’s five most common EL languages. Source: Consolidated State Performance Reports, SYs 2006-07 through 2011-12.

Percentage of School-Age Asian/Pacific Islander Language Speakers Who Were ELs, by Language: 2008-12 Fact Trukese 64% Burmese 57% Sixty-four percent of school-age Micronesian 57% Trukese speakers, Uighur 52% 57 percent of Indonesian 34% school-age Formosan Burmese speakers, 32% and 57 percent of Hmong 31% school-age Cantonese 30% Micronesian Chinese 29% speakers were considered ELs in Mien 28% 2012.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Note: Percentages shown reflect specifically classified Asian/Pacific Islander languages only. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008-12. Estimates generated by NCELA using Census DataFerrett.

FEBRUARY 2015