text: The Asian population in Minneapolis, although historically insignificant, has grown in recent years to about 17,700 individuals. Originally consisting mainly of southern Chinese labor workers in the late 19th century, the city has since welcomed immigrants from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. The latter half of the 20th century saw an influx of Southeast Asians, particularly following the Vietnam War.
  Since then, the city has undergone significant diversification. Immigrants from countries such as Mexico, Somalia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia have contributed to this diversity. Minneapolis is home to one of the largest Somali communities in North America, with approximately one-third of the 85,700 people with Somali ancestry in the U.S. residing in Minnesota as of 2010. There has also been a noticeable increase in the Mexican population, particularly in the South and Northeast regions of Minneapolis.
  Languages
  The language landscape of Minneapolis is predominantly English-speaking, with 78.8% of the population using only English at home. Given that 8.4% speak English less than "very well", the city provides services in several other languages, including Spanish (spoken by 7.1%), Somali (3.7%), Hmong (2.2%), and American Sign Language. Other languages spoken by smaller percentages of the population include Oromo, Russian, Amharic, Chinese, and French.
  The following table presents data from the 2000 Census, detailing the languages spoken at home in Minneapolis.