A fascinating map of the most spoken languages in every US state besides English and Spanish

[Egad]

Also, Texas. I suspect that until the fall of Saigon and the subsequent Vietnamese influx German would have won out handily. There was a big German migration into TX in the 1800s and a lot of place names still show that. The spoken language, alas, is currently on the decline.

[MissCellania]

I was surprised at the German in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, until I remembered the Mennonites. Since they stay isolated, we tend to forget how many there are here. They’ve been here a long time.

[Avery_Thorn]

You should probably learn a bit more about German ancestry in the American Midwest before you embarrass yourself by showing more ignorance.

Also, assuming people are Nazis because they had a German grandparent really says more about you than them…

German Americans

[Mindysan33]

@bryanlarsen

can quickly swamp a place

[strangefriendbb]

There are just as many Vietnamese restaurants In Houston TX now as Mexican restaurants.

[Mindysan33]

Yep… was just going to say the same.

@PurpleFlower

And anyone who’s spent any time in the Atlanta area knows about the good food down Buford Highway.

Roger that!

[MissCellania]

Here’s a map showing the same from 2014 (second map down). There have been a few changes.

[DonatellaNobody]

@Ratel

It doesn’t say how prevalent. After you eliminate English and Spanish, it might just be a handful of households.

And of course, given the states in question, it might have more to do with honoring the fuehrer than actual ethnicity.

It could be because German is a major language spoken by hundreds of millions of people worldwide

[Avery_Thorn]

WV is a lot more diverse than people think. In HS, one of my best friends was an Arabic speaker. In College, I knew a lot of people who were Arabic speakers; including professors and other students.

I am kind of surprised that Arabic came out on top; I would think Japanese and Chinese would have given it a strong run for the money. I would say that there are probably also a roughly equal number of Indian people too, but the fractured languages of India spoils the count in this survey. (There is a special tie between Japan and WV; with a lot of Japanese investment and cross-cultural exchange; there are a lot of common values that both sides celebrate.)

[Akimbo_NOT]

@Ian_MCC

The Portuguese in coastal New England states is intriguing

Take a look at all the direct flights to the Azores from Boston.

[moortaktheundea]

@Ratel

And of course, given the states in question, it might have more to do with honoring the fuehrer than actual ethnicity.

I can’t speak for all of the states, but in my experience it is much more a case of honoring grandma rather than honoring the fuehrer. A lot of mid century refugee resettlement went to cities that were large at that time, which includes a lot of the industrial Midwest. On top of that a lot of the Amish and Mennonite population stills use German in the home. There are also a few villages that are essentially weird German tourist traps in Ohio and Michigan. All together you’re looking at about 60,000 people in Ohio.

[moortaktheundea]

It’s especially aggravating because one of the large sources of German speakers in some of the cities in the area were people fleeing the Nazis.

[phuzz]

@Avery_Thorn

Also, assuming people are Nazis because they had a German grandparent really says more about you than them…

Based on no knowledge whatsoever, I’d assume people who’s ancestors left Germany, to be less Nazi, not more.
Unless your family name was Drumpf I guess.

[dfaris]

@Avery_Thorn

WV is a lot more diverse than people think.

I would have guessed that the prevalence of arabic in West Virginia represented one guy who spoke it. Granted, my experience with West Virginia consists mostly of what can be seen of it outside the window of a moving car on 68.

[Mindysan33]

@dfaris

my experience with West Virginia consists mostly of what can be seen of it outside the window of a moving car on 68.

Times have changed… that was 52 years ago now.

[agies]

I think they mean I-68.

Interstate 68

[Mindysan33]

OH! Derp!

My bad @dfaris… Appalachia is still more diverse that people understand, especially considering how that region of the country is shown in popular culture.

[Neovison.vison]

@ugh

I’m no expert, but I do know that there are many immigrants from both Brazil and Portugal in Boston. I suspect the presence of the language is only due to them, and not a vestige of the 18th and 19th century migrations.

I know there is a significant Cape Verdean population there!

From Wikipedia: " Today, more Cape Verdeans live abroad than in Cape Verde itself, with significant emigrant Cape Verdean communities in the United States (500,000) of Cape Verdean descent, with a major concentration on the New England coast; Providence, Rhode Island, New Bedford, Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts. Brockton, Massachusetts is the city with the largest number of Cape Verdean descents and immigrants (18,832) in the United States."

ETA: I see @ugh has more data. Thank you!

[Ratel]

Interestingly, you’ll find that those people are oddly unperturbed by Northern European languages. It’s almost like they’re motivated by something other than principle.

[ugh]

@PurpleFlower

I live in the Atlanta 'burbs where there is a huge Korean population so that one did not surprise me.

I grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta (North Fulton), and while I’m not surprised that Korean is the top language after English and Spanish, my initial guess was Hindi/Urdu, since the Indian plus Pakistani population of Georgia is about three times that of the the Korean population. But then I remembered that many of those households aren’t speaking Hindi/Urdu, but rather Tamil, Gujarati, Bengali and Punjabi (just to name a few). Though even recognizing that, I still would have bet on Hindi/Urdu.

Also, I gotta agree with you about Buford Highway: it’s a foodie paradise!