California Language Minority Voting Rights Demographics
Analysis based on American Community Survey (ACS) Public-Use Microdata Samples (PUMS), Census Bureau Voting Rights Determinations, and Input from Interested Groups
by Jon Ivy, Voter Access Advocate | August 2017 | VoterAccess.org | @VoterAccess
Introduction
Under California Elections Code section 14201, the California Secretary of State is required to determine in which counties it would be appropriate to provide facsimile ballots at the polls in Spanish and other non-English languages. The Secretary of State may also determine that only certain precincts within such a county warrant provision of facsimile ballots.
In making these determinations, the Secretary of State must determine the number of eligible voters in each county and precinct and the number of those that are members of a single language minority and lack sufficient skills in English to vote without assistance.
The Secretary of State must find that there is a need to provide facsimile ballots in a particular county or precinct under either of the following two conditions:
- In any case where the number of low-English-proficient eligible voters of a single language minority exceed 3 percent or more of the eligible voter population in a particular county or precinct.
- In the event that interested citizens or organizations provide the Secretary of State with information which gives the Secretary of State sufficient reason to believe a need for the furnishing of facsimile ballots.
Under Elections code Section 12303, county elections officials are required to make similar determinations. In each precinct meeting the 3 percent threshold, or in the event that interested citizens or organizations provide information which the elections official believes indicates a need for voting assistance for language minorities in a precinct, the official must make reasonable efforts to recruiting bilingual pollworkers.
This Document
This document contains analysis of minority language demographics throughout the state. It is meant to be used by the Secretary of State and county elections officials to aid in drafting determinations required under Sections 14201 and 12303 of the Elections Code.
Because precincts are not permanent structures and may be reconstituted with each election, the determinations in this publication do not list precincts. Rather, this publication provides determinations based in two geographic elements:
-
County
California has 58 counties.
-
2010 Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)
California has 256 PUMAs as designated by the U.S. Census Bureau.
This publication provides a section for each of the 58 counties. Each of the county sections contain listings of languages and relevant PUMAs within the counties.
To aid with targeting and compliance, languages are listed in three levels of prevalence in each county:
-
Level 1 Languages
Designated by U.S. Census Bureau as exceeding thresholds for Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act.
-
Level 2 Languages
Found to significantly exceed 3% threshold under Elections Code section 14201 in large areas within the county.
-
Level 3 Languages
Found to likely exceed the 3% threshold under Elections Code section 14201 in at least some areas within the county.
Methodology
The demographic information produced and provided in this publication are derived from U.S. Census Bureau data sets.
Initial analysis of census data, establishment of weights, and production of data tables are provided by the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) project. IPUMS is a part of the Minnesota Population Center at the University of Minnesota and provides micro data integration and dissemination free of charge.
See: "What is IPUMS?" - https://www.ipums.org/whatIsIPUMS.shtml
Data queries and tabulations used in this report were developed by Voter Access and ran against the IPUMS-USA database housed at the IPUMS Online Data Analysis System ("IPUMS-Online Data Analysis System" - https://usa.ipums.org/usa/sda/).
The geographies targeted and an explanation of the datasets queried are outlined below.
Complete datasets can be found online in the following formats:
- Interactive Google Fusion Table with geographic and language data
https://fusiontables.google.com/DataSource?docid=1nRT_WI9G6t7ZFiwth2NK-yVcV3WmDZgVSBdW_FwG - Downloadable KML geographic file with language data
https://voteraccess.org/projects/language-2017/LEP_CVAP_by_ACS_PUMA_(ACS_2012-2015).kml - Downloadable CSV language data file without geographic definitions
https://voteraccess.org/projects/language-2017/LEP_CVAP_by_ACS_PUMA_(ACS_2012-2015).csv
U.S. Census Bureau Voting Rights Determination File
"As required by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, this notice publishes the Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) Director's determinations as to which political subdivisions are subject to the minority language assistance provisions of the Act. As of this date, those jurisdictions that are listed as covered by Section 203 have a legal obligation to provide the minority language assistance prescribed by the Act."
The data tables developed by the Census Bureau for this process contain county-by-county information about population and language minority demographics for certain minority language groups. This information is included in this report for these language minority groups where they show over 3% of the voting age citizen population throughout an entire county is of the same group of low-English-proficient minority language speakers.
American Community Survey
See: "About the American Community Survey" - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about.html
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing nationwide survey conducted by the Census Bureau that collects and produces information on demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics about our nation's population every year.
The ACS includes questions about language use at home, citizenship status, age, and ability to speak English.
This report makes use of the latest 5-year ACS data table (2011-2015) to estimate the number and ratio of low-English-proficient, voting-age, minority language speakers there are in large and small areas throughout the state.
Public Use Microdata Areas
See: "PUMAs explained" - https://www.census.gov/geo/reference/puma.html
Used by the Census Bureau, Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) are statistical geographic areas defined for the dissemination of Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data. They are also used for disseminating ACS and Puerto Rico Community Survey period estimates.
This report provides determinations and data derived from the ACS based on these PUMAs.
2010 PUMAs
- Nest within states or equivalent entities
- Contain at least 100,000 people
- Cover the entirety of the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
- Are built on census tracts and counties
- Should be geographically contiguous
For the 2010 definitions, which are used in ACS data tables from 2012 onward, California is comprised of 265 distinct PUMAs. Some of the PUMAs contain more than one county, and some counties contain more than one PUMA. Los Angeles County, for example, contains over 65 PUMAs.
Input from Outside Groups
Individuals and organizations with knowledge of minority language group demographics and language-access needs have provided public commentary to the Secretary of State's Office on multiple occasions throughout the last several years. In some cases, these public comments have included evidence and analysis showing language needs not reflected in Secretary of State determinations or Census Bureau determinations.
Where applicable, these comments have been included in this report as evidence of language needs that should warrant assistance to voters under California law.
Determinations
From the ACS PUMS data, determinations of languages are based on the ratio of low-English-proficient, citizen, voting-age population in a single language minority to total citizen, voting-age population in a given area.
Two queries are run against the ACS PUMS data. The first query is for the total number of people in each PUMA that meet the following conditions:
- Has U.S. Citizenship
- Is 18 years of age or older
The second query is for the total number of people, for each language spoken at home, in each PUMA that meet the following conditions:
- Has U.S. Citizenship
- Is 18 years of age or older
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- Speaks English less than "Very Well."
The data tables created from these two queries are combined, filtered, and analyzed as follows:
Languages that appear in the U.S. Census Bureau list for Section 203 coverage are listed under Level 1 Languages. These languages require full targeted service throughout the affected county under federal law.
Where a language minority is 3% or more of the eligible population in a given PUMA, the language minority is listed in this document under Level 2 Languages for the county that contains that PUMA. This level indicates that the listed language minority must exceed the 3% threshold in more than one precinct inside the PUMA as a mathematical certainty.
Where a language minority is 1% to 2.99% of the eligible population in a PUMA, the language minority is listed under Level 3 Languages. This level indicates that the listed language minority likely exceeds the 3% threshold in one or more precincts inside the PUMA.
Statewide Summary
California is a diverse state and home to many language minority groups. Some of these groups have large populations that can be identified as low-English-proficient.
Among these low-English-proficient communities, the following are most prevalent throughout the state:
Statewide low-English-proficient communities sorted by total numbers
- Spanish
- Chinese
- Vietnamese
- Filipino/Tagalog
- Korean
- Armenian
- Farsi
- Russian
- Punjabi
- Arabic
- Khmer
- Japanese
- Hmong
- Thai
- Hindi
- Portuguese
- Taiwanese
- Laotian
- French
- Gujarathi
While this list is sorted by total number of low-English-proficiency speakers in each language minority group, the determinations for providing specific language materials and assistance also take into account the concentration of the language minority groups within a given voting jurisdiction.
Some minority groups are too dispersed to meet the thresholds for specific language-based assistance. Groups that are not represented in these determinations can also provide information to the Secretary of State or their county elections officials that shows a need for increased services. Regardless of any determinations, any individuals needing assistance may have up to two people of their choice assist them in voting on or before Election Day and within the voting booth.
The following minority language groups are both prevalent and concentrated enough to warrant language-based assistance under Elections Code sections 12303 and 14201 in at least some areas in the state (alphabetical order):
Statewide low-English-proficient communities with high concentrations (relevant for voting rights determinations)
- Arabic
- Armenian
- Burmese/Lisu/Lolo
- Chinese
- Filipino/Tagalog
- Hmong
- Japanese
- Korean
- Laotian
- Khmer
- Farsi
- Portuguese
- Punjabi
- Russian
- Spanish
- Syriac/Aramaic/Chaldean
- Ukrainian/Ruthenian
- Vietnamese
Complete datasets can be found online in the following formats:
- Interactive Google Fusion Table with geographic and language data
https://fusiontables.google.com/DataSource?docid=1nRT_WI9G6t7ZFiwth2NK-yVcV3WmDZgVSBdW_FwG - Downloadable KML geographic file with language data
https://voteraccess.org/projects/language-2017/LEP_CVAP_by_ACS_PUMA_(ACS_2012-2015).kml - Downloadable CSV language data file without geographic definitions
https://voteraccess.org/projects/language-2017/LEP_CVAP_by_ACS_PUMA_(ACS_2012-2015).csv
Interactive Map
Click anywhere on this map to see demographic information available:
The PUMA tables below contain links to subsections of the statewide map.
Whether using the full map or the subsections, clicking on highlighted areas of the maps should bring up information about the voting population and the low-English-proficiency demographics data.
County Determinations
Alameda County
Level 1 Languages
- Chinese
- Filipino/Tagalog
- Spanish
- Vietnamese
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Punjabi
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 00107 | Alameda County (Central)--Hayward City | Filipino/Tagalog; Spanish |
| 00106 | Alameda County (North Central)--Castro Valley, San Lorenzo & Ashland | Spanish |
| 00104 | Alameda County (North Central)--Oakland City (South Central) | Spanish |
| 00102 | Alameda County (Northwest)--Oakland (Northwest) & Emeryville Cities | Cantonese |
| 00109 | Alameda County (South Central)--Fremont City (East) | Chinese |
| 00108 | Alameda County (Southwest)--Union City, Newark & Fremont (West) Cities | Chinese |
| 00105 | Alameda County (West)--San Leandro, Alameda & Oakland (Southwest) Cities | Cantonese; Chinese |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 00104 | Alameda County (North Central)--Oakland City (South Central) | Cantonese; Vietnamese |
| 00105 | Alameda County (West)--San Leandro, Alameda & Oakland (Southwest) Cities | Filipino/Tagalog; Spanish; Vietnamese |
| 00106 | Alameda County (North Central)--Castro Valley, San Lorenzo & Ashland | Cantonese; Filipino/Tagalog; Vietnamese |
| 00107 | Alameda County (Central)--Hayward City | Cantonese; Vietnamese |
| 00108 | Alameda County (Southwest)--Union City, Newark & Fremont (West) Cities | Cantonese; Filipino/Tagalog; Punjabi; Spanish; Vietnamese |
| 00109 | Alameda County (South Central)--Fremont City (East) | Cantonese; Mandarin; Spanish |
| 00110 | Alameda County (East)--Livermore, Pleasanton & Dublin Cities | Spanish |
Alpine County
- (none)
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 00300 | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono & Tuolumne Counties | Spanish |
Amador County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMAs
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 00300 | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono & Tuolumne Counties | Spanish |
Butte County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
- Hmong
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 00701 | Butte County (Northwest)--Chico City | Spanish |
| 00702 | Butte County (Southeast)--Oroville City & Paradise Town | Hmong; Spanish |
Calaveras County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMAs
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 00300 | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono & Tuolumne Counties | Spanish |
Colusa County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMAs
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01100 | Colusa, Glenn, Tehama & Trinity Counties | Spanish |
Contra Costa County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
- Chinese
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Farsi
- Filipino/Tagalog
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01301 | Contra Costa County (Far Southwest)--Richmond (Southwest) & San Pablo Cities | Filipino/Tagalog |
| 01302 | Contra Costa County (Far Northwest)--Richmond (North), Hercules & El Cerrito Cites | Cantonese; Filipino/Tagalog |
| 01303 | Contra Costa County (Northwest)--Concord (West), Martinez & Pleasant Hill Cities | Spanish |
| 01304 | Contra Costa County--Walnut Creek (West), Lafayette, Orinda Cities & Moraga Town | Farsi |
| 01305 | Contra Costa County (South)--San Ramon City & Danville Town | Chinese; Farsi; Spanish |
| 01306 | Contra Costa County (Central)--Concord (South), Walnut Creek (East) & Clayton Cities | Spanish |
| 01307 | Contra Costa County (North Central)--Pittsburg & Concord (North & East) Cities | Filipino/Tagalog |
| 01308 | Contra Costa County (Northeast)--Antioch City | Filipino/Tagalog |
| 01309 | Contra Costa County (East)--Brentwood & Oakley Cities | Spanish |
Del Norte County
Level 1 Languages
- Unspecified Native American Language
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMAs
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01500 | Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas & Siskiyou Counties | Spanish |
El Dorado County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMAs
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01700 | El Dorado County--El Dorado Hills | Spanish |
Fresno County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Level 2 Languages
- Hmong
Level 3 Languages
- Punjabi
- Armenian
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01901 | Fresno County (West)--Selma, Kerman & Coalinga Cities | Spanish |
| 01903 | Fresno County (Central)--Fresno City (East Central) | Hmong; Spanish |
| 01904 | Fresno County (Central)--Fresno City (Southwest) | Spanish |
| 01905 | Fresno County (Central)--Fresno City (Southeast) | Hmong; Spanish |
| 01907 | Fresno County (East)--Sanger, Reedley & Parlier Cities | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01901 | Fresno County (West)--Selma, Kerman & Coalinga Cities | Punjabi |
| 01902 | Fresno County (North Central)--Fresno City (North) | Armenian; Spanish |
| 01904 | Fresno County (Central)--Fresno City (Southwest) | Hmong |
| 01906 | Fresno County (Central)--Clovis City | Spanish |
Glenn County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01100 | Colusa, Glenn, Tehama & Trinity Counties | Spanish |
Imperial County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMAs
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 02500 | Imperial County--El Centro City | Spanish |
Inyo County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 00300 | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono & Tuolumne Counties | Spanish |
Kern County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Punjabi
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 02901 | Kern County (West)--Delano, Wasco & Shafter Cities | Spanish |
| 02902 | Kern County (Central)--Bakersfield City (West) | Spanish |
| 02903 | Kern County (Central)--Bakersfield City (Northeast) | Spanish |
| 02904 | Kern County (Central)--Bakersfield City (Southeast) | Spanish |
| 02905 | Kern County (East)--Ridgecrest, Arvin, Tehachapi & California City Cities | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 02902 | Kern County (Central)--Bakersfield City (West) | Punjabi |
Kings County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 03100 | Kings County--Hanford City | Spanish |
Lake County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 03300 | Lake & Mendocino Counties | Spanish |
Lassen County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01500 | Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas & Siskiyou Counties | Spanish |
Los Angeles County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
- Khmer/Cambodian
- Chinese
- Filipino/Tagalog
- Korean
- Vietnamese
Level 2 Languages
- Armenian
- Farsi
- Russian
Level 3 Languages
- Japanese
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
Madera County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 03900 | Madera County--Madera City | Spanish |
Marin County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 04101 | Marin County (North & West)--Novato & San Rafael (North) Cities | Spanish |
| 04102 | Marin County (Southeast)--San Rafael (South), Mill Valley & Sausalito Cities | Spanish |
Mariposa County
- (none)
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 00300 | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono & Tuolumne Counties | Spanish |
Mendocino County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 03300 | Lake & Mendocino Counties | Spanish |
Merced County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Hmong
- Portuguese
- Punjabi
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 04702 | Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities | Spanish |
| 04701 | Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 04702 | Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities | Hmong |
| 04701 | Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities | Portuguese; Punjabi |
Modoc County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01500 | Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas & Siskiyou Counties | Spanish |
Mono County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 00300 | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono & Tuolumne Counties | Spanish |
Monterey County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 05301 | Monterey County (North Central)--Seaside, Monterey, Marina & Pacific Grove Cities | Spanish |
| 05302 | Monterey County (Northeast)--Salinas City | Spanish |
| 05303 | Monterey (South & East) & San Benito Counties | Spanish |
Napa County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- Spanish (county-wide)
Level 3 Languages
- Filipino/Tagalog
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 05500 | Napa County--Napa City | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 05500 | Napa County--Napa City | Filipino/Tagalog |
Orange County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
- Chinese
- Korean
- Vietnamese
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Farsi
- Filipino/Tagalog
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 05905 | Orange County (Northeast)--Lake Forest, Irvine (North) Cities & Silverado | Spanish |
| 05906 | Orange County (North)--Yorba Linda, La Habra & Brea Cities | Spanish |
| 05907 | Orange County (North Central)--Fullerton & Placentia Cities | Korean; Spanish |
| 05908 | Orange County (Northwest)--Buena Park, Cypress & Seal Beach Cities | Korean; Spanish |
| 05909 | Orange County (North Central)--Anaheim City (West) | Spanish; Vietnamese |
| 05910 | Orange County (North Central)--Anaheim City (East) | Spanish |
| 05911 | Orange County (Central)--Orange & Villa Park Cities | Spanish |
| 05912 | Orange County (Northwest)--Westminster, Stanton & Garden Grove (West) Cities | Spanish; Vietnamese |
| 05913 | Orange County (Northwest)--Garden Grove City (East) | Spanish; Vietnamese |
| 05916 | Orange County (Central)--Santa Ana City (West) | Spanish; Vietnamese |
| 05917 | Orange County (Central)--Santa Ana City (East) | Spanish |
| 05918 | Orange County (Central)--Costa Mesa & Fountain Valley Cities | Vietnamese |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
Placer County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 06101 | Placer County (Southwest)--Roseville City | Spanish |
Plumas County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01500 | Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas & Siskiyou Counties | Spanish |
Riverside County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Korean
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 06504 | Riverside County (Southwest)--Murrieta & Wildomar Cities | Spanish |
| 06512 | Riverside County (West Central)--Corona City (South), Woodcrest & Home Gardens | Korean |
Sacramento County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
- Chinese
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Filipino/Tagalog
- Hmong
- Korean
- Punjabi
- Russian
- Ukrainian
- Vietnamese
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
San Benito County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 05303 | Monterey (South & East) & San Benito Counties | Spanish |
San Bernardino County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Chinese
- Vietnamese
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
San Diego County
Level 1 Languages
- Unspecified Native American Language
- Spanish
- Chinese
- Filipino/Tagalog
- Vietnamese
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Arabic
- Laotian
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
San Francisco County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
- Chinese
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Filipino/Tagalog
- Russian
- Vietnamese
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 07501 | San Francisco County (North & West)--Richmond District | Cantonese; Chinese |
| 07502 | San Francisco County (North & East)--North Beach & Chinatown | Cantonese; Chinese |
| 07503 | San Francisco County (Central)--South of Market & Potrero | Cantonese; Spanish |
| 07505 | San Francisco County (Central)--Sunset District (North) | Cantonese; Chinese |
| 07506 | San Francisco County (South Central)--Sunset District (South) | Cantonese; Chinese |
| 07507 | San Francisco County (South Central)--Bayview & Hunters Point | Cantonese; Chinese; Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 07501 | San Francisco County (North & West)--Richmond District | Russian |
| 07503 | San Francisco County (Central)--South of Market & Potrero | Filipino/Tagalog |
| 07504 | San Francisco County (Central)--Inner Mission & Castro | Spanish |
| 07505 | San Francisco County (Central)--Sunset District (North) | Mandarin |
| 07506 | San Francisco County (South Central)--Sunset District (South) | Filipino/Tagalog; Russian; Spanish |
| 07507 | San Francisco County (South Central)--Bayview & Hunters Point | Filipino/Tagalog; Vietnamese |
San Joaquin County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Filipino/Tagalog
- Hmong
- Khmer/Cambodian
- Punjabi
- Vietnamese
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 07701 | San Joaquin County (Central)--Stockton City (North) | Spanish |
| 07702 | San Joaquin County (Central)--Stockton City (South) | Spanish |
| 07703 | San Joaquin County (South)--Tracy, Manteca & Lathrop Cities | Spanish |
| 07704 | San Joaquin County (North)--Lodi, Ripon & Escalon Cities | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 07701 | San Joaquin County (Central)--Stockton City (North) | Filipino/Tagalog; Hmong; Khmer; Vietnamese |
| 07702 | San Joaquin County (Central)--Stockton City (South) | Filipino/Tagalog |
| 07703 | San Joaquin County (South)--Tracy, Manteca & Lathrop Cities | Punjabi |
San Luis Obispo County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 07901 | San Luis Obispo County (West)--Coastal Region | Spanish |
| 07902 | San Luis Obispo County (East)--Inland Region | Spanish |
San Mateo County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
- Chinese
Level 2 Languages
- Filipino/Tagalog
Level 3 Languages
- Burmese/Lisu/Lolo
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 08101 | San Mateo County (North Central)--Daly City, Pacifica Cities & Colma Town | Cantonese; Filipino/Tagalog; Spanish |
| 08102 | San Mateo County (North Central)--South San Francisco, San Bruno & Brisbane Cities | Spanish |
| 08105 | San Mateo County (East Central)--Redwood City, San Carlos & Belmont Cities | Spanish |
| 08106 | San Mateo County (Southeast)--Menlo Park, East Palo Alto Cities & Atherton Town | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 08101 | San Mateo County (North Central)--Daly City, Pacifica Cities & Colma Town | Burmese, Lisu, Lolo |
| 08102 | San Mateo County (North Central)--South San Francisco, San Bruno & Brisbane Cities | Cantonese; Filipino/Tagalog |
| 08103 | San Mateo County (Central)--San Mateo (North), Burlingame & Millbrae Cities | Cantonese; Spanish |
| 08104 | San Mateo County (South & West)--San Mateo (South) & Half Moon Bay Cities | Cantonese; Spanish |
Santa Barbara County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Filipino/Tagalog
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 08301 | Santa Barbara County (Northwest)--Santa Maria City & Orcutt | Spanish |
| 08302 | Santa Barbara County (North)--Lompoc, Guadalupe, Solvang & Buellton Cities | Spanish |
| 08303 | Santa Barbara County--South Coast Region | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 08301 | Santa Barbara County (Northwest)--Santa Maria City & Orcutt | Filipino/Tagalog |
Santa Clara County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
- Chinese
- Filipino/Tagalog
- Vietnamese
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Farsi
- Korean
- Punjabi
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 08502 | Santa Clara County (Northwest)--Sunnyvale & San Jose (North) Cities | Chinese |
| 08504 | Santa Clara County (North Central)--Milpitas & San Jose (Northeast) Cities | Chinese; Filipino/Tagalog; Vietnamese |
| 08505 | Santa Clara County (North Central)--San Jose City (East Central) & Alum Rock | Spanish; Vietnamese |
| 08506 | Santa Clara County (East)--Gilroy, Morgan Hill & San Jose (South) Cities | Spanish |
| 08507 | Santa Clara County (Southwest)--Cupertino, Saratoga Cities & Los Gatos Town | Chinese |
| 08509 | Santa Clara County (Central)--San Jose City (Northwest) | Spanish |
| 08510 | Santa Clara County (Central)--San Jose City (Central) | Spanish; Vietnamese |
| 08511 | Santa Clara County (Central)--San Jose City (South Central/Branham) & Cambrian Park | Vietnamese |
| 08513 | Santa Clara County (Central)--San Jose City (Southeast/Evergreen) | Spanish; Vietnamese |
| 08514 | Santa Clara County (Central)--San Jose City (East Central/East Valley) | Filipino/Tagalog; Spanish; Vietnamese |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
Santa Cruz County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- Spanish (county-wide)
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 08701 | Santa Cruz County (North)--Watsonville & Scotts Valley Cities | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 08702 | Santa Cruz County (South & Coastal)--Santa Cruz City | Spanish |
Sierra County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 05700 | Nevada & Sierra Counties | Spanish |
Siskiyou County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Hmong
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01500 | Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas & Siskiyou Counties |
Public Comment
The Secretary of State was alerted leading up to the June 2016 Primary Election of the existence of a population of Hmong-speaking eligible voters in Siskiyou County that were not accurately represented in Census Bureau data. This population likely faces severe impediments to registering and voting, including hostile officials within the county. See the following news articles for more information:
- Voter Fraud Probe In California Turns Into Voter Intimidation Boondoggle - http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/jon-lopey-siskiyou-county-voter-fraud-probe
- California Voters Enthusiastic Amid Reports of Intimidation, Poor Language Access - https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/california-voters-enthusiastic-amid-reports-intimidation-poor-language-access-n588186
- Even In California, Voter Intimidation By Law Enforcement - http://www.politicususa.com/2016/06/11/california-voter-intimidation-law-enforcement.html
- Calif. County Tries To Toss Federal Suit Alleging Intimidation Of Hmong Voters - http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/siskiyou-county-tries-toss-lawsuit-voter-intimidation-hmong
Solano County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- Spanish
- Filipino/Tagalog
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 09501 | Solano County (Southwest)--Vallejo & Benicia Cities | Filipino/Tagalog |
| 09502 | Solano County (Central)--Fairfield & Suisun City Cities | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 09501 | Solano County (Southwest)--Vallejo & Benicia Cities | Spanish |
| 09502 | Solano County (Central)--Fairfield & Suisun City Cities | Filipino/Tagalog |
| 09503 | Solano County (Northeast)--Vacaville & Dixon Cities | Spanish |
Sonoma County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- Spanish
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 09703 | Sonoma County (Central)--Santa Rosa City | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 09701 | Sonoma County (North)--Windsor Town, Healdsburg & Sonoma Cities | Spanish |
| 09702 | Sonoma County (South)--Petaluma, Rohnert Park & Cotati Cities | Spanish |
Stanislaus County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Khmer/Cambodian
- Syriac/Aramaic/Chaldean
- Punjabi
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 09901 | Stanislaus County (Southwest)--Ceres, Patterson & Newman Cities | Spanish |
| 09902 | Stanislaus County (Central)--Modesto City (West) | Spanish |
| 09903 | Stanislaus County (Northeast)--Turlock, Riverbank, Oakdale & Waterford Cities | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 09901 | Stanislaus County (Southwest)--Ceres, Patterson & Newman Cities | Punjabi |
| 09902 | Stanislaus County (Central)--Modesto City (West) | Khmer |
| 09903 | Stanislaus County (Northeast)--Turlock, Riverbank, Oakdale & Waterford Cities | Syriac, Aramaic, Chaldean |
| 09904 | Stanislaus County (Central)--Modesto City (East) | Spanish |
Public Comment
The Secretary of State was alerted in March of 2015 of the existence of a population of Assyrian-immigrant eligible voters in Stanislaus County that were not accurately represented in Census Bureau data or Secretary of State determinations. This population likely faces impediments to registering and voting that would be improved with Syriac/Aramaic/Chaldean language assistance and materials. See the relevant PUMA links above for where this population may fall on the map.
Sutter County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- Spanish (county-wide)
- Punjabi (county-wide)
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 10100 | Sutter & Yuba Counties--Yuba City | Punjabi; Spanish |
Tehama County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- Spanish
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01100 | Colusa, Glenn, Tehama & Trinity Counties | Spanish |
Trinity County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Hmong
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 01100 | Colusa, Glenn, Tehama & Trinity Counties |
Public Comment
The Secretary of State was alerted after the June 2016 Primary Election of the existence of a population of Hmong-speaking eligible voters in Trinity County that were not accurately represented in Census Bureau data. This population likely faces severe impediments to registering and voting. See the following public comments for more information:
- Election Voter Complaint Form In Re: Trinity County Violations/Michael Wear/Kay Graves case - http://wethepeopleradiorecords.com/20161106/2016.11.06VoterCOmplaintStatementDianeRichards72116.pdf
"We are having extreme issues in our county in getting our Asian community registered and able to vote. We have registered many people. (The registrar of voters) have disqualified them, not allowed them to register, and then when they went to vote, believing that they were registered, they were denied the right to vote or forced to vote provisionally. We had several young people that had offered to be translator/pollworkers and they did not allow them - said they would not need them." - Diane Richards, Republican Central Committee Chair, Trinity County - June 29, 2017, Meeting of the Secretary of State's Language Accessibility Advisory Committee
Tulare County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 10701 | Tulare County (Northwest)--Visalia City | Spanish |
| 10702 | Tulare County (West Central)--Tulare & Porterville Cities | Spanish |
| 10703 | Tulare County (Outside Visalia, Tulare & Porterville Cities) | Spanish |
Tuolumne County
- (none)
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 00300 | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono & Tuolumne Counties |
Ventura County
Level 1 Languages
- Spanish
Level 2 Languages
- (none)
Level 3 Languages
- Filipino/Tagalog
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 11103 | Ventura County (Southwest)--Oxnard & Port Hueneme Cities | Spanish |
| 11104 | Ventura County (Southwest)--San Buenaventura (Ventura) City | Spanish |
| 11105 | Ventura County (North)--Santa Paula, Fillmore & Ojai Cities | Spanish |
| 11106 | Ventura County (South Central)--Camarillo & Moorpark Cities | Spanish |
Additional PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 1%
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 11101 | Ventura County (Southeast)--Simi Valley City | Spanish |
| 11102 | Ventura County (Southeast)--Thousand Oaks City | Spanish |
| 11103 | Ventura County (Southwest)--Oxnard & Port Hueneme Cities | Filipino/Tagalog |
Yolo County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- Spanish (county-wide)
PUMAs with language minority groups that exceed 3% threshold
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 11300 | Yolo County--Davis, Woodland & West Sacramento Cities | Spanish |
Yuba County
Level 1 Languages
- (none)
Level 2 Languages
- Spanish
Level 3 Languages
- Hmong
- Punjabi
Relevant PUMA
| PUMA | Name of Area | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 10100 | Sutter & Yuba Counties--Yuba City | Spanish; Hmong; Punjabi |
More Information
Notes and References
Note about Punjabi
Missing from this report are public comments made by groups interested in providing better voting access to Punjabi-speaking voters. Throughout the last two years, the Punjabi community has made efforts to alert the Secretary of State of the language access needs of their community. Efforts by Asian Americans Advancing Justice - LA, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) California, and the Jakara Movement stand out as very informative to the needs present in the population.
The various comments on this topic were not included in the report because the data derived from the Census Bureau findings and printed in this report clearly show a need for Punjabi materials and assistance. Any exclusion of Punjabi-speaking populations in voting rights determinations would be a clear error.
California Laws Related to Language Access
Additional Resources
- California Online Voter Registration - registertovote.ca.gov
- California Secretary of State
- California Association of Clerks and Election Officials
Data Files
Complete datasets can be found online in the following formats:
- Interactive Google Fusion Table with geographic and language data
https://fusiontables.google.com/DataSource?docid=1nRT_WI9G6t7ZFiwth2NK-yVcV3WmDZgVSBdW_FwG - Downloadable KML geographic file with language data
https://voteraccess.org/projects/language-2017/LEP_CVAP_by_ACS_PUMA_(ACS_2012-2015).kml - Downloadable CSV language data file without geographic definitions
https://voteraccess.org/projects/language-2017/LEP_CVAP_by_ACS_PUMA_(ACS_2012-2015).csv
About the Author
Jon Ivy is a law school student at UC Davis School of Law and is an analyst working to improve government in his spare time. He can be reached any time at Jon Ivy's email address - jonivy@gmail.com, and you can find him online in the following ways:
- VoterAccess.org
- @jonivy on Twitter
- @voteraccess on Twitter
- Jon Ivy's YouTube Channel - youtube.com/jonivy
- Jon Ivy's personal blog - jonivy.com
- Jon Ivy's LinkedIn Page - linkedin.com/in/jonivy
Edits and Corrections
This report is current as of the original date of publication, August 28, 2017. If updates or corrections are made to the report, a changelog and explanation will appear here.