Educate Children

We ask about language spoken at home in combination with other information, such as disability status, school enrollment, and poverty status, to help schools understand the needs of their students and qualify for grants that help fund programs for those students (Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965). Information on how many children and youth with limited English-speaking abilities who depend on services provided through schools helps school districts make long-term staffing and funding decisions.

Ensure Equal Opportunity

We want to know about the languages spoken by people in the community in combination with information about housing, voting, employment, and education, to help the government and communities enforce laws, regulations, and policies against discrimination based on national origin. For example, language data are used to support the enforcement responsibilities under the Voting Rights Act to investigate differences in voter participation rates and to enforce laws and policies related to bilingual election requirements. Knowing languages spoken in a community also helps federal agencies identify needs for services for people with limited English proficiency under Executive Order 13166.