Lab 8: GIS Applications

African-Americans-

The maps presented above have been created from data found on the United States Bureau of the Census's web site. This information was taken, and tabulated during the year 2000 census. When looking at the features of how people have settled, where races seem to congregate, and where they are located in relation to one another; it becomes very clear that the settlement of different ethnic groups is far from random. Looking at the data presented in an Excel sheet is daunting, for anyone. Thousands of numbers, on a seemingly never ending list. It doesn’t have much impact on the eyes or to the onlooker at all. When placed upon a map this data comes to life. It shows the subtle complexities of racial distribution within the United States. For anyone who has traveled to many of the states within the U.S these maps have even greater impact, because you know the racial distribution first hand. A few years ago I traveled to Memphis, Tennessee as well as New Orleans, Louisiana. During this trip I was using only public transportation as my mode of travel. It became obvious very quickly that I (someone of European decent) was very out of place. Entering downtown Memphis, I also had the same general impression, that this town has a far higher African American population than many other cities I have visited in the U.S. This observation holds true on this census map. The “Black Distribution by Percentage” map shows that the South and particularly areas near the Mississippi River have a higher proportion of African Americans than other places in the U.S. The reason for this is most likely largely due to the fact that after the slave-trade ended and the emancipation proclamation was signed, many Blacks stayed where they were, rather than moved far away. Even today, it still holds true that this large minority still has a major concentrated presence within a specified area of the United States, and ArcGIS makes it possible to witness that.

Asian-Americans-

            According to the maps created it is clear that much of America’s Asian population lives along the coasts, both the west and the east; but particularly in the urban centers of these areas. It makes sense that Asian populations would be set along the coast, and especially the West coast. For they have, and do, come across the Pacific and that is the first place they land, and often that is where they stay. Being that many people from Asian decent own and operate small shops, it makes sense that they are in urban centers like San Francisco or Los Angeles, rather than out in the fields or farmland attempting to make a living. If you were to extend the map area so you could see all 50 states it would be clear that even in places like Alaska there are above-average percentages of Asian Americans along the coast. In Hawaii the same story is true, with the highest percentages of all the states.

Some Other Race-

            This cohort belongs to peoples who are not ”White”, “Black or African American”, “American Indian and Alaska Native”, “Asian” and/or “Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander”. Meaning that those who are possibly racially mixed or who are from Latin decent would fall into this category. Living in Los Angeles I know how multi-ethnic my city is, I can be riding the bus and hear 5 different languages being spoken all at once, and it would be quite normal. It is also obvious that the city has a very large Hispanic population. From the amazing Mexican food, to the bi-lingual signage that penetrates any official or advertising document, it is everyday life for Angelino’s to live with those who are from south of the border. The census data map makes this very clear. Many of the counties closest to the Mexican border have a more intense color, showing cultural diversity slanted towards Latino/a heritage. This makes sense, since these counties are geographically closer to the place of origin for those who have immigrated north.

Most of these maps make sense of what we already have observed or know about the United States. But it is a solid, and clear, indicator of where people are today. The problem that these maps have is that they do not show where people have come from or where they are going. This is critical information to know how the United States will develop ethnically in the years to come, as well as a basis for seeing how our history has taken shape. GIS is critical to showing how spatially fixed data is in an all-in-one format like a map. Without it there would be a huge amount of unknowns. It is impossible to gain any working knowledge from huge spreadsheets. ArcGIS is where “the rubber meats the road”, meaning that it is a place in which the workings of information technology come together to create something useful and meaningful, something that will take data and transform it into a working product. GIS has many applications, as have been seen over the course of this introductory course, but its true potential can only be unlocked by those who know how to use it properly and with imaginative intent. GIS is place where computer science, graphic design, statistical analysis, geography, and much more come together in a singular application. It is critical to understand and respect all of these aspects in order to create more useful, more intelligent map design.