Language and Religion in USA

Language

One of the most linguistically varied nations in the world, the United States of America is home to between 350 and 430 different languages. Although there is no official language at the federal level, English and other native languages have been made official in numerous states. The 2018 American Community Survey found that more than 78% of people only spoke English at home. There are nearly 40 million Spanish speakers in the US, meaning only Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Spain have more Spanish speakers. Amongst the 65 million persons who speak a language other than English, roughly 26 million reports speaking English less than very well.

Of the 308.8 million persons aged five and over in 2019, about 78% (241 million) said they spoke only English at home, regardless of where they were born. 22% of people (67.8 million) said they spoke a language other than English at home. With more than 3.4 million speakers nationwide, Mandarin and Cantonese were the most widely spoken non-English, non-Spanish languages in the U.S., according to these statistics.

The top 10 non-English languages spoken at home in the United States are listed below:

Even though it only tops the list in Nevada, Tagalog has 1.7 million speakers and is the second most spoken language in American households (after English/Spanish). It should come as no surprise that French is widely spoken in Louisiana and the states that border eastern Canada.

Religion

The United States is a secular nation, so the state and religious institutions are officially separated. The strong principle of religious freedom, which emphasizes people's ability to practice any religion they choose without favoring one over another, serves as the foundation for society. The First Amendment, which states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, makes this clear. In the end, there is a strong pluralist conviction that different religious groups should be permitted to uphold and cultivate their faith and/or views within the general society.

Despite the country's extreme religious diversity, Christianity is frequently associated with American nationalism and patriotism. Examples include the proclamation God Bless America or the phrase "In God We Trust" that appears on money. The Fourth of July celebrations or Thanksgiving are only two examples of significant American holidays where this fusion of religion and patriotism may be honored. The religious affiliation of a person is not a question on the US census. To ascertain the religious makeup of the nation, many agencies have carried out surveys. The largest religious affiliation, at 70.6%, is Christianity, according to Pew Research Center (2014). 5.9% of people identified as practicing a non-Christian religion, of which 1.9% identified as Jewish, 0.9% as Muslim, 0.7% as Buddhist, and 0.7% as Hindu. 1 The remaining 22.8%, which includes atheists (3.1%) and agnostics (4.0%), are identified as unaffiliated.

The variety and diversity of America's religious landscape are also influenced by the religiously unaffiliated. The Public Religion Research Institute estimates that during the early 1990s, the number of religiously unaffiliated people—including atheists and agnostics—has tripled, making up just under a quarter of the population (22.8%). 3 The "New Atheism" movement was started by atheist writers in America (e.g., Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris). Major internet platforms are where American atheism, particularly New Atheists, is most active. A hub for atheists in America and around the world, Reddit has one of the largest atheist communities (about 2 million followers).