A Bergen County foundation that recognizes graduating high school seniors for academic achievement is giving awards to 10 students for excellence in their Italian language studies, which was once one of the most widely spoken languages in New Jersey households.

Italian was the third most common language spoken at home in the Garden State at the turn of the 21st Century, according to census data. But by 2017, it dropped to the ninth. Chinese, Korean and several other Asian languages have rose up the list. That is despite the over 1.3 million New Jerseyans who say they are of Italian descent.