Assignment 7

The Black Population Density by Counties map shows that there is a significantly higher density of blacks located in the southeastern United States, especially in east Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, with some areas in California.  From my speculation, this distribution is due to the establishment of black communities/populations when slavery was prominent. The majority of the national population was settled in the eastern United States during the days of slavery.  The Civil War was between the division of the north and the slavery-favored south.

The Asian Population Density by Counties map shows that most Asians have settled in mostly coastal regions especially California, New York, and Washington.  They are also distributed fairly consistenly, albiet sparsely throughout the entire United States.  The reason for this distribution is because many Asian are immigrants and many coastal regions (especially New York's Ellis Island) serve as gateway hubs for entrance into the country.  Upon coming to the country, it is just more convenient to settle somewhere along the coastal regions due to three reasons: 1) Its expensive to commute far 2) Many Asian communities are already established around these regions making it a relatively safer haven for incoming Asians  3) Many coastal cities are industrial and globalized compared the rest of the nation, allowing for ease of job placement and advancement.

The Other Race Population Denisity by Counties map is referring to the distribution of the Hispanic populations within the United States.  Through observation, one can point out that most Hispanics have settled throughout Southern California, Texas and New Mexico.  This is because of these locations close proximity with the Mexican border which a good amount of Hispanics illegally cross.

Plotting out census data into maps allows for spatial analysis that's easier and more efficient than just looking at the numbers from the data.  Sure, its possible for one to recognize these patterns from just the datasets, however, it takes time and high intellectual capacity.  GIS allows the average person to see trends and make conclusions on the distribution of race according to density, in regards to this lab. After the completion of this assignment, I have come to realized that GIS still has a lot that it could improve on, especially the process of editing, saving, and altering file types.  A tutorial or explanation is necessary for most processes, otherwise one could rely on trial and error and poring through toolbars to get their task done.  A program's efficiency is hindered when its powerful features are difficult to fully utilize.