How well do online maps include Latino-oriented local businesses? A study in the Inland Northwest of the United States

Keywords: OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Latino, Latinx, entrepreneurship, business
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

This study examines the degree to which Latino-oriented local businesses are included in online maps from Google, Apple, Microsoft, and OpenStreetMap. Local businesses oriented towards the consumer needs and preferences of Latino communities are changing the landscapes of small and medium-sized cities in many agricultural areas of the interior United States. These businesses represent a potential path to financial security for their owners, while offering a comfortable and familiar retail environment for members of the Latino community. Through field visits, we listed and classified active businesses in sample areas of four small cities in the Inland Northwest. We then compared this list with the business point markers visible in the four online maps. We found that Latino-oriented local businesses appeared in significantly fewer map platforms than other businesses, and that local businesses in general had less representation on the maps than establishments that were part of national chains. Businesses in areas with relatively high Latino populations were undermapped compared to businesses in other areas. OSM had low inclusion of Latino-oriented local businesses, although we found some points that had been added by students participating in educational mapping exercises. We discuss how all field notes collected during the research were added to OSM at the end of the project as a service to the communities involved.