Young Refugees In The US Essay
The 1st part of the paper have to establish the problem these young refugees face in the medical field due to social determinants. The second part will evaluate current policies combating the problems.
In this unit, we’ll look more
closely at evidence, engaging
with questions such as– What
types of evidence work best in
an argumentative essay, and
when? How much evidence
do you need? When and how
can we use personal
experience as evidence
effectively? How do we
critically evaluate the sources
we’re considering bringing
into an essay? How do we
integrate material from
outside sources into our essay
without eclipsing our own
ideas?
Required texts: NCHHSTP FAQ website (linked on Blackboard)
“I Was Pregnant and in Crisis. All the Doctors and Nurses Saw Was an
Incompetent Black Woman,” Cottam McMillan
“A Look at Rural Hospital Closures and Implications for Access to Care”
“The Gap Between Rich and Poor Americans’ Healthcare is Widening”
“12 Charts Show how Racial Disparities Persist…”
Background: Many of us—if asked what determines how “healthy” a person is—would answer
something along the lines of, “a combination of genetic and environmental factors.” And many
of us would be surprised to learn that this balance of factors is not an equal one: according to
the CDC, social and environmental factors play a much larger role in determining the health of
individuals and communities than do biological factors. Here’s how the CDC defines and
describes these “social determinants of health”:
Social determinants of health are economic and social conditions that influence the health of
people and communities [1]. These conditions are shaped by the amount of money, power, and
resources that people have, all of which are influenced by policy choices. Social determinants of
health affect factors that are related to health outcomes. Factors related to health outcomes
include:
• How a person develops during the first few years of life (early childhood development)
• How much education a person obtains
• Being able to get and keep a job
• What kind of work a person does
• Having food or being able to get food (food security)
• Having access to health services and the quality of those services
• Housing status
• How much money a person earns
• Discrimination and social support
In other words, contrary to—or at least,
complicating—many of the narratives
we’re exposed to about health (“Just
eat well! Go to yoga! Make healthy
decisions!”) focus on a highly
individualized sense of choice—but the
conditions in which we are born, grow
up, live, play, and work have profound
effects on our health outcomes.
Blog Posts 1
st— What issue/area/group are you choosing to write about? What do you know
already about the conditions facing this group? What information do you need
to find through research?
2
nd— Review one of the sources you found through your research. How did you find
this resource (keywords, search strategy)? Critique the source—how helpful is
it, and how will you use it? Provide a link to the source in your post.
Writing assignment
All good essays prompt the reader to see something they didn’t quite see before. For this essay,
choose a specific example that you think illustrates the way social/economic conditions (i.e.,
the factors listed above) influence people’s health. It could be a recent current event (like the
mass detentions of migrant children), or a simply a phenomenon you’re interested in (health
conditions among people who are homeless, or members of a specific ethnic group or disability
community, for example). After reading and thinking about your example, answer the following
question in 5-7 pages:
Why is it important to consider the social determinants of health with this specific population
when planning health care strategies that will affect this group?
Notes:
This is a researched essay, but not a research essay. As with your previous essays, you’re
still making an argument, taking some stance that others could disagree with. The
reading and research you do will help you answer your question and support your
argument, but is not, in and of itself, the point of the essay.
As always, make very clear early on what the purpose of your essay is. Your thesis
should control the essay. Remember that a good thesis necessarily puts you out on a
limb, at least a bit. Read your thesis aloud to make sure it sounds like a clear, direct
claim. Make sure it sounds like you, when you’re trying to communicate something
important.
A successful essay will pull from a variety of sources of support; think about how you
might make productive use of statistics, interviews, anecdotes, historical examples,
current events, relevant theory, etc. To practice using a variety of different kinds of
sources and evidence, include at least one of each of the following in your initial
research: 1) a scholarly source 2) a narrative anecdote (it does not need to be personal
to you) 3) a quote from an expert 4) a news source 5) a statistic.
Schedule:
Thursday, 1 Oct—Begin Topic/Short Day
Tuesday, 6 October—Brainstorm topic ideas; choose a topic and prepare for research Thursday
Over weekend—1
st Blog Post
Thursday, 8 October—Research session with Librarian
Tuesday, 13 October—2
nd Blog post
Thursday, Friday 15-16 October–Conferences
Tuesday, 20 October—1
st Drafts Due in class
Thursday, 22 October—2
nd drafts Due in class
Saturday, 24 October—Final Drafts due on Blackboard








Jermaine Byrant
Nicole Johnson



