Malay/Indonesian
Reference material, with every source named. Our own communities are further down the page.
Endangerment status
This name covers several related languages rather than one, and their situations differ — some are still passed on at home, others have very few speakers left. There is no single status for a group, so none is shown here.
ISO 639-1 ms
Speakers at home
The census does not count this language separately. It is folded into a broader category, and the figures below are that whole category — not this language. How many of those people speak it is recorded nowhere. Category: Ilocano, Samoan, Hawaiian, or other Austronesian languages
By state
- California117,869limited English 41,333
- Hawaii117,184limited English 50,118
- Washington35,253limited English 11,878
- Texas23,800limited English 6,843
- Utah15,312limited English 3,421
- New York12,586limited English 4,464
- Nevada11,416limited English 4,010
- Florida9,552limited English 3,084
- Illinois9,152limited English 2,872
- Oregon8,933limited English 2,970
- Alaska7,901limited English 2,272
- Arkansas7,831limited English 3,954
- Arizona7,735limited English 2,222
- Virginia7,528limited English 2,199
- North Carolina7,237limited English 3,310
- New Jersey6,269limited English 1,866
- Maryland6,246limited English 2,094
- Georgia5,654limited English 1,868
- Colorado5,610limited English 2,130
- Oklahoma5,374limited English 1,845
- Missouri5,179limited English 1,949
- Pennsylvania5,119limited English 2,319
- Iowa4,597limited English 2,504
- Massachusetts3,724limited English 969
- Ohio3,466limited English 1,154
- Michigan3,159limited English 1,069
- Indiana2,871limited English 903
- Kentucky2,824limited English 1,337
- Minnesota2,421limited English 727
- Tennessee2,269limited English 712
- Kansas2,253limited English 567
- Wisconsin2,106limited English 505
- Idaho1,835limited English 699
- Alabama1,583limited English 466
- South Carolina1,258limited English 398
- Connecticut1,230limited English 417
- Nebraska1,096limited English 330
- New Hampshire1,035limited English 454
- Louisiana990limited English 243
- New Mexico910limited English 385
- Mississippi891limited English 216
- Montana800limited English 118
- North Dakota560limited English 125
- West Virginia459limited English 150
- Wyoming401limited English 111
- Maine372limited English 101
- Vermont283limited English 22
- South Dakota262limited English 81
- Rhode Island258limited English 38
- Delaware168limited English 106
By city
- New York City8,808limited English 4,113
- Los Angeles8,408limited English 3,170
- San Jose6,727limited English 1,752
- San Diego4,444limited English 1,214
- Seattle4,251limited English 2,194
- Chicago2,983limited English 2,603
- Philadelphia2,629limited English 1,486
- Phoenix2,201limited English 722
- Charlotte1,880limited English 1,177
- Sacramento1,724limited English 993
- Houston918limited English 205
- Boston541limited English 85
- Dallas456limited English 199
- Columbus132limited English 0
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year. The second figure counts people who speak English less than “very well”.
The census publishes this table for every state but for only a handful of cities. A city missing from this list is one it does not publish, not one where nobody speaks the language.
Help record this language 0 / 10
Ten small things, each answerable in under a minute by anyone who speaks the language. You do not need to prepare, and you do not have to do them in order.
- A greetingnone yet
How do you greet someone, and how do they answer?
- Numbersnone yet
Count from one to ten.
- Familynone yet
The words for mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, child.
- Saying goodbyenone yet
How did the oldest person you knew say goodbye?
- Foodnone yet
Name a dish and say how it is made.
- Weather and seasonsnone yet
Describe today’s weather, then name the seasons.
- A place namenone yet
The name of your home place in this language, and what it means.
- A proverbnone yet
A saying that does not translate well. Say it, then explain it.
- A song for a childnone yet
Sing something that was sung to you.
- A storynone yet
A story you were told as a child. Take as long as you need.
Join a community for this language to add a recording
You keep what you record. It stays credited to you, nobody else can change it, and you can delete it at any time.
Communities on CultureMesh
- Malay/Indonesian speakers in Washingtonmembers 1
- Malay/Indonesian speakers in Seattlemembers 1
- Malay/Indonesian speakers in New Yorkmembers 1
- Malay/Indonesian speakers in Kirklandmembers 1
Notes from people here
Is this right? For most languages the census refuses to count speakers separately, so the figure above is a whole category rather than this language. If you know better, write it down — on this page you are the source.
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Sign in to add a noteCite this page
CultureMesh, "Malay/Indonesian" language page (https://culturemesh.com/languages/malay-indonesian-14). Speakers at home: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year.