Louisiana's most popular languages besides English and Spanish
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French remains the most commonly spoken language in Louisiana, other than English and Spanish, per new census data.
Why it matters: That reflects our state's settlement and colonization, as well as modern efforts to maintain Louisiana's Francophone history.
The intrigue: The census offers two categories for French speakers to select from: French, or "Cajun French and other French languages."
- That represents a push in recent years to recognize that Francophone languages and dialects in Louisiana are distinct from those spoken elsewhere. Kouri-Vini, for instance, is considered a "sister language of Louisiana French."
By the numbers: Census data reflecting the 2017 to 2021 period shows that 57,640 people said they speak French at home, compared with 14,020 who said they speak "Cajun French and other French languages." (Worth noting: Louisiana's dot in the chart represents just one category of French speakers.)
- "Vietnamese and other Austro-Asiatic languages" are also among the most popular with 24,700 speakers. Arabic speakers numbered at 11,490.
Between the lines: Spanish is far and away the predominant non-English language nationwide but putting it aside offers insight into other groups and population centers around the country.
The big picture: Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese are the three most commonly spoken languages across the nation, other than English and Spanish, according to the data.
Between the lines: Many multilingual people speak one language at home with family, but use English at work, school and elsewhere.
- In Louisiana, that was once a legal requirement as xenophobic laws sought to prevent future generations of French speakers.
- These days, just over 60% of people who speak a language other than English at home also say they speak English "very well," per the data.