Examining the Most Commonly Spoken Languages in Mississippi

Mississippi may not be among the largest states in the US, but it’s still home to nearly three million people. This is a far cry from the largest population, but there are certainly enough people to create a diverse population. As a result, many languages are spoken in the homes of Mississippians.

Here, we’re looking into the most spoken languages in Mississippi, aside from English. Some of these originate from very close to home, while others are from far-flung lands.

Small count of Spanish speakers in homes

The southern states of the US are always assumed to have many fluent Spanish speakers, but Mississippi has a surprisingly small Spanish-speaking population on paper. It’s certainly the most dominant of the languages behind English, but the 68,000 people that report speaking Spanish at home amount to around 2.4 percent of the population. Despite this, there are enough Spanish speakers that safety presentations are in English and Spanish.

Of course, not everyone who speaks Spanish is from a country that has Spanish as its primary language, and thus be more likely to speak it at home. What boosts the overall Spanish-speaking community is how easy it is to learn Spanish online. The step-by-step guide details that, other than moving to a Spanish-speaking country or reading Spanish, the most successful way to learn the language is to speak with a native tutor. This way, you can work your way through any errors and quickly gain confidence. Perhaps it’s this method that makes Spanish more common. Visit Here: havana spanish language school in cuba

Vietnamese is next in Mississippi

In most  US states, English and Spanish are the dominant languages. Vietnamese, on the other hand, is the third most prevalent language spoken at home in just three states. It narrowly edges out the next most common, but many people speak Vietnamese in the Magnolia State. According to the latest data, close to 6,000 people report it as their chosen language to speak at home, amounting to just over 0.2 percent of Mississippi residents.

Some people associate the country with returning veterans. Many of these veterans came back with Vietnamese partners, and after the mid-70s, more Vietnamese people came to the US seeking prosperity. Compared to the likes of California and Texas, Mississippi’s Vietnamese population is small, but it’s still large enough to rank the language as the third-most spoken in the state.

The true native language of Mississippi still goes strong

If you go back far enough, prior to the founding of the nation, it was the European languages that were most spoken. Of course, English ended up becoming the dominant language, with Spanish’s major influence coming from people traveling north from South and Central America. Still, there are pockets of truly native speakers, which is why the Clinton Visitor Center commemorates Heritage month.

In Mississippi, Native American languages are the fourth most common, with the main one being Muskogean. That said, it wasn’t long ago that Muskogean was considered more prevalent than Vietnamese. Regardless, there are a good 4,000 people who speak one of the six Native American languages that fall under the catchment name Muskogean.

As is often the case, Spanish is the second-most commonly spoken primary language in homes across Mississippi. However, the Magnolia State is unique, with Vietnamese and Muskogean ranking next.