Races, Immigration: United States. Immigration to the United States: Centres of European Emigration to the United States for the Fiscal Year, 1902. c. 1902

Editor: This map by Norris Peters Co., titled "Centres of European Emigration to the United States for the Fiscal Year, 1902," presents a stark visual representation of migration. What can we learn from this historical document? Curator: Maps like these aren't neutral; they reflect anxieties about who is entering the nation. Notice how the concentration of dots highlights certain regions over others. What impression does that create, and for whom? Editor: It almost seems like it's visually ranking the "problem areas" of immigration at the time. I hadn't considered the bias inherent in data visualization. Curator: Exactly. It's a powerful reminder that even seemingly objective representations are shaped by social and political agendas.