Correlations

Living in the Bronx, I witnessed the behavior of the people living there. This class has exposed me to the numbers, which I found extremely high in comparison to what I expected for the Bronx. I was aware that the AIDS epidemic existed in the city, particularly in the village where most homosexuals live, but never would I have thought that it was such a big deal in the Bronx.

While I was doing my research, I came across startling numbers. I took this opportunity to research the Puerto Rican and the rest of the Latino community where I live because I feel that AIDS within that particular population is overlooked by most people, as I did myself. In fact, Latinos in total make up most of the population in the Bronx and make up a remarkable amount of the AIDS cases. Some locations I predicted to have high rates of AIDS cases were Hunts Point, Fordham, and Mott Haven. These predictions are based on my personal experiences of seeing a high population of Hispanics, as well as working within the Hunts Point community and being exposed to abuse, drugs, and prostitution, and the poverty that surrounds the area.

The media plays a vital role in influencing the public in New York overall. The condom advertisements on the train, taxi’s, and even on the radio commercials show society that there is an issue at hand in the city of New York. The city gathers immense amounts of people who volunteer each year, since 1986, to fight against AIDS and save the lives of poor helpless patients through out the city. Also, coming from a school in the Bronx, the teachers gave lectures on the dangers of unprotected sex, of course AIDS was the major topic, but there was also the distribution of condoms and they were available to the student at any time. That must have meant that there was something going on or at least something they were trying to prevent in the environment.

Places I believed would have the lowest amount of AIDS cases were Throggs Neck and Riverdale, because of the more concentrated Caucasian population and the higher income that population tends to produce. The Caucasians I have seen that reside in the Bronx usually live by an area called Wavehill. Wave hill has luxurious houses and it is located in what looks like a suburban area. The area of Throggs Neck is a very clean neighborhood and it is predominately inhabited by Italian descendants. The social status of the Caucasians in the Bronx can be defined, for the most part, by the area in which they reside.

In order to really learn more about the Bronx, one would have to look into the statistics of the area. I was able to make correlations between several factors that may or may not affect society at the very moment. The correlations essentially demonstrate how one factor influences another. In this paper, I will demonstrate correlations between the AIDS rate in the Bronx and factors such as: the Puerto Rican population, no education and those with at least a high school diploma or GED, and average family size.

The first correlation I would like to discuss is the relationship between Puerto Ricans and the number of AIDS Cases in the Bronx. Table A (see appendix) demonstrates the constant growth of Puerto Ricans with AIDS. This shocked me because our traditional beliefs such as valuing our health and our family are usually upheld to the highest degree, but it definitely seems that some things have changed over time. The zip code with the most Puerto Ricans living with AIDS is 10456, which happens to be the neighborhood of Morrisana. This area is located in the south Bronx. I found this to be surprising because my area holds the number 30,3088. Most know that the south Bronx is known for being the poorest places in this country. The south Bronx is also a location in which was known for having a high number of Hispanics. The area contains a 27,643 Latinos. The area is known for its roaming teenagers, drugs and things that could have been prevented with formal education. Could lower education can be a determining factor as to why there are so many Latinos that have AIDS?

In Table B (see appendix), the graph shows how for about less than 50 percent of the population in Morrisana, are the most part are not educated and have not obtained a GED nor have sought alternative modes of education. This can be correlated to the amount of income that enters the household. The correlation I received for the graph was negative, but even so the correlation shows the relationship income has on a household. The more money one makes the less likely it is for one to contract AIDS. There are two outliers in this graph and that is due to their locations. The two zip codes that pertain to the areas are 10471 (Riverdale) and 10464 (Pelham Bay Park). Both are two predominately white neighborhoods, whom tend to make more than enough money to avoid AIDS at all cost.

The males within a population getting an education may also decrease the number of AIDS cases. According to my calculations, based on table D, males with a high school diploma will significantly decrease the amount of AIDS cases. This is true for any race besides that of Puerto Rican class because with an education, one is able to make rational decisions that will help foster mature decisions when talking about sex, family issues, or any other kind of situation.

Aside from individual problems with in society, take a look into the family household. My research allows me to conclude that the larger the family, three children or more, the higher the argument for AIDS cases being more susceptible to your family. I the family getting AIDS as a cycle for some of the population. It begins with the victim of AIDS not growing up in a middle class or rich area, which would mean that there are fewer materials available for the aid of the victim. Then there is less money being given to visit the doctor and in total the Bronx ends up with having the highest death rate.

In short, our society is slowly progressing for the betterment of the people. Soon there will be a cure for AIDS and all will be well. Until that time we must be conscious of what we do and how we do it. The Bronx will be testing all residents if possible to create more awareness and to reach the goal of having at least one fourth less of residents infected with the HIV virus. Only time will tell if society will deal with the situation at hand and provide us with the answer.