• Community Development
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Rural Entrepreneurship Listening Sessions
  • eXtension
  • Northeast Key Contacts
  • Access eNonProfit Tutorial
  • Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E)
• Land Use
  • TALUC
  • Land Use Toolbox
  • NEELUN Key Contacts
  • 2003 Land Use Conference
  • Land Use in the Northeast U.S.
  • GIS in Your Community
  • Consortium for Atlantic Regional Assessment (CARA)
• Small Farms Industry Clusters
  • National Research Initiative (NRI) Project
  • Committee Members
• Poverty
  • 2005 Poverty Conference
  • Poverty Data
  • Big Boxes
• Other
  • Diversity
  • eCommerce
  • Energy
  • Social Capital Resources
  • Issue Briefs: Population Change and Rural Society
  • Tourism

The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
The Pennsylvania State University
7 Armsby Building, University Park PA 16802-5602
814/863-4656(phone); 814/863-0586(fax)
Please send questions and comments to:
nercrd@psu.edu

Demographic Dimensions of Diversity Relevant for Extension Educators:

What To Look For, Why, and Where To Find the Data on The Web

1. Race/Ethnicity and Language Spoken at Home

Racial and ethnic differences may lead to communications barriers, which can be compounded by lack of English language skills. This may mean that educational materials need to be translated into other languages in order for the materials to be delivered effectively. Members of different ethnic groups may also need certain types of information but not others; some nutritional information may be irrelevant when cultural practices restrict the types of food eaten.

Members of a particular ethnic group may also feel more or less integrated into the local community, which may affect the amount of volunteerism and other group activities that are possible. At the same time, ethnic diversity creates many opportunities for sharing differences, such as through food festivals, cultural fairs, etc.

Key variables

• Percent of total population that is…
  • Black or African-American
  • American Indian and Alaska Native
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
• Population 5 years and over - percent who speak a language other than English at home -
  • Total; and percent who speak English less than "very well."
• See also: 5. Religion
  • Geographic Comparison Table (where to find the data):
  • Population, Race and Hispanic or Latino and Language, School Enrollment, and Educational Attainment

The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development is located at the Pennsylvania State University and collaborates with land grant institutions in the northeast U.S.