A semiotic study of small-detailed signs in North America vernacular landscape

Abstract

This research examines the use of small-detailed signs (SDS) in public spaces across three metropolitan cities: New York City, Chicago, and Dearborn. These cities, known for their cultural diversity and vibrant urban landscapes, serve as ideal examples for studying vernacular landscapes inhabited by major ethnic groups, namely Latinx, Chinese, and Arab communities. The semiotics of SDS was analyzed with respect to the functionality and genre of each sign. The visual discourse within these locations is deeply intertwined with cultural expression. The collected data were categorized thematically. The findings reveal two primary types of SDS: handwritten and imprinted. The functionality of each type varies according to the ethnicity of the particular group. The indexicality of the signs differs from city to city, with each urban area indicating the presence of specific speaking groups, monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual. The evaluations of the three cities reflect collective identity, interpretive contexts, visual discourse, and ultimately collective semiotics. This study underscores the similarities and differences among these groups in the three metropolitan cities. It aims to highlight the ethnic and cultural imprints left by immigrant populations in their adopted homeland.