The above map represents U.S. Census data on percent Black by county statistics. The results show a high percentage of Blacks living in the south particularly from Louisiana to Georgia and along the east coast from South Carolina to Virginia. Mississippi shows a high concentration of Blacks living in the state with many counties represented in the highest class. What is surprising is that no significant patterns of migration have occurred and that the traditional states with the high population of Blacks are still the same states today. Outside of the south areas of notable Black population concentration is seen with the counties containing cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Washington D.C. The lowest concentrations can be seen in all states near the northern border and in the mountain states.
The map depicts U.S. Census data of percent Asian on a county level. Initial results show a significant concentration of Asians living in the west coast, California and Oregon, and in pockets on the east coast particularly in New York and Massachusetts. Areas with traditional significance to early Asian migration patterns, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Seattle are still the city/counties with the highest level of percent Asian. Outside the coasts, counties with notable Asian population include counties containing cities like Ann Arbor, Houston, Washington D.C. and Boston many of which contain large numbers of institutions of higher learning and a more international presence. In general less clustering is seen in the map as many counties, contain the major cities, scattered throughout the United States contain notable population of Asians.
The other race statistic as included in the map above likely includes the Hispanic ethnicity as classified by the U.S. Census bureau and other mixed-race data. The result with the map indicate large populations of other races including Hispanics in the south and south west in particular California, Texas, New Mexico and parts of Washington state. Counties with significant other race population with a focus on Hispanics are located in the central valley counties of California where many Hispanic migrant workers are located. The spread is not as large as in the previous two maps and much of the east coast, north, and mid-west are largely void of other race populations in the counties. Significant relationships can be identified in the proximity of major other Race/Hispanic percentages and the county distance from the Mexican border citing migration and immigration patterns of Hispanic workers and families.
Overall the map series created in ArcMap utilizing ArcCatalog and data from the 2000 U.S. Census population data on the county level is a insightful guide especially with data collection and manipulation of data using excel and ArcCatalog. The joining of the county data with the provided U.S. county shape file and manipulation of color involves levels of detailed hands-on interaction. The tool used to classify breaks in the data distribution known as Jenks Natural Break optimization is useful in determining the classes deviation from the mean. This is fine when used in one map but comparison issues occur when using natural break in a map series. For Instance on the first map of percent Black by county the highest range includes a large break value starting from 53 to 86 percent. When compared to the second map of percent Asian by county the highest range is only 13 to 30 percent. This can create misconceptions by the viewer on actual densities of the highest class though in detail the legend is provided for further analysis.
ArcGIS in my experiences is a powerful tool used in data analysis, manipulation and representation. The concepts learned in mapping are important in depicting the ideas of where traditional concepts of mapping and visualization came from including where it is heading. The introduction of neogeography has shown that maps are everywhere today sometimes hidden behind masses of programs and codes but they reveal the same information we have relied on for years in terms of spatial analysis and orientation. ArcGIS itself can utilize the masses of data gained from the real world and analyze them into something consumable in order for others to make sound decisions from. Gathering data from many secondary sources including DEMs and other digital data, all can be utilized in ArcGIS for analysis. It is surprising for me the number of applications GIS can be used for from acting as a mapping database of information for small companies to large topographic surveys can all be accomplished using similar techniques in GIS. So far the freedom of interaction with ArcGIS has been limited but the last few GIS projects have introduced new levels of hands-on manipulation and design by the user. It can be seen that GIS can only go farther in depth as the data used becomes more complicated but the introduction of GIS has presented me new knowledge on concepts of mapping itself, in-depth computer and database utilization and the ArcGIS program.
