Table 1. Population of Chiapas by Language Ability
  Total Speak a Native Language
YearPopulationMonolingualBilingualTotal
19701,569,053147,720140,116287,836
19903,210,496228,889453,508716,012

Source: INEGI, official statistics.


Table 2. The death of the vernacular within a Tzeltal family
(census microdata sample, 1990)
RelationSexAgeVernacularSpanishLiterateSchooling
headmale37Tzeltalyesnono
spousefemale38Tzeltalyesnono
daughterfemale13noneonlyyesyes
daughterfemale10noneonlyyesyes
sonmale9Tzeltalyesyesyes
sonmale7Tzeltalyesyesyes

Source: INEGI 1994, 1990 census microdata sample.


Table 3. Why do Chiapanecan children of indigenous parents only speak a vernacular? (1990)

  BS.E.Sig P<Exp(B)
Child has no schooling2.72.144.00015.19
Mother speaks vernacular1.40.106.0004.04
Father speaks vernacular.37.113.0011.44
Father earns no income.34.139.0151.40
Father earns less than $75-.05.123.691.95

Source: INEGI 1994, 1990 census microdata sample.
Note: This logistic regression model is limited to children aged 6-14 years residing with mother and father in the same household in settlements of less than 2,500 inhabitants; number of cases: 1562.