Throughout my time in the intro to GIS I have learned many techniques in spatial analysis. I was able to use new interactive software, overlays, and data interpretation. One of the most important aspects I have learned in joining data fields. This is precisely what I did for my last assignment. I joined census data with county populations in order to see the percent of certain races with the country. The ability to do this is helpful because we can interpret the data and follow certain phenomena.
The Asian population in the United States is greatest along the coast near large cities. These areas would include Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami, and New York. A popular phenomenon in Asian immigration is that of “chain migration”. Meaning new immigrants will place themselves where other migrants of their culture have settled. The earlier settlers may have already created cultural enclaves, or communities that allow the new ones to feel more comfortable and more at home. The coastal areas offer more opportunities for employment due to industry and shipping. Also bustling centers coastal cities usually offer greater opportunities for heterogeneous communities. Meaning the Asian populations can settle without as much fear of cultural persecution than they would receive in inland, more heterogeneous neighborhoods.
Black populations in the United States seem to reach a high point in the Southern regions of the country. This includes states such as Alabama, Louisiana, and The Carolinas. This placement of this population can be credited to the historical use of African Americans as slaves and field workers. After liberation from slavery many African Americans continued to live and work on farms as sharecroppers. As more black people worked their way out of this situation some moved up North, but a majority stayed in the South where they had been for generations now. For this reason the black population is still the largest in the Southern states of the United States. The second largest percent is along the coast of Southern California and in New York. Again these areas offer a greater chance for work, a better quality of life, and more cultural acceptance.
The “Other Race” category contains all those who do not have Latino, Black, Asian or Caucasian ancestry. The highest percentage of these other races is in the Western part of the United States. This includes states from Texas to California. These areas include high percentages because they are areas with many different cultures and races. These areas can encourage interracial mixing thus creating another type of “race”. These areas may also attract other races because of more cultural acceptance and once again job opportunities. Los Angeles offers the highest percentage of other races because it houses many different cultural enclaves.
