Fall 1999, 3 credits
Urban Public Health
Hunter College of the City Univeristy of New York.

This course will explore and examine how immigration is related with health of individuals and community.

Objectives

1. Students will gain basic understanding of immigration and acculturation process
2. Students will gain working knowledge of past and current status of immigrant health.
3. Students will gain working knowledge how immigrant health affect the overall health status of
    the whole community.
4. Students will identify barriers and promoters in immigrant health.
5. Students will gain working knowledge of major immigrant groups’ current health status and
    their health belief.
6. Students will develop primary understanding on how to study immigrant health
 

Class Time

Mondays 6:05 - 7:50pm; BC 417W
 

Instructor

Soo-Kyung Lee, Ph.D., R.D. Office Hours: Mondays 4-5pm Thursdays 1-2pm or by appointment
Office: W1022, Telephone number: 481-5165, E-mail: kylee@hejira.hunter.cuny.edu

 Hello!  I joined the Hunter College faculty in 1998.  I am a nutritionist with speical interests in how societal changes affect people's diet and further their health.  Therefore, one of my reserach interest is in  acculturation as it relates to food choices, nutrition and health.  I am very excited having this new course with you.  I hope to have a very interactive class throughout this smester learning immigration and health.  Please feel free to contact me via e-mail and Web BB in this webpages.

My recent publications include “Usage of social science theories in community nutrition,” Korean J Community Nutrition 1997;2(5): 671-679, "Acculturation and dietary practice in Korean Americans", which will appear in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, and "Acculturation, Food consumptions, and Diet-related Factors among Korean Americans", which will be published in the Journal of Nutrition Education.  I have taught  Community Nutrition (NFS 441), Medical Nutrition Therapy I (NFS 343), Epidemiology (COMHE 330), Nutrition and Human Development (NFS 342), and Principles of Public Health Nutrition (COMHE 770.82).  This semester has my new courses: COMHE 770.76 Immigration and Health and NUTR 731 Nutritional Assessment.

• Sana Loue (Ed.) Handbook of Immigrant Health. New York: Plenum Press, 1998 (ISBN: 0-306-45959-0) - on reserve in Health Science Library
• Alejandro Portes & Ruben G. Rumbaut.  Immigrant America: A Portrait. (2nd Ed.) Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996. (ISBN: 0-520-20765-3)

1. Attendance. Students are expected to attend all classes.  Students who attended all classes perform at higher level than those who consistently miss class.
2. Class readings and Assignments: Assigned readings must be done before class.  Late assignments will not be accepted.
3. Grading. Group project (45%), term paper (50%) and class partcipation (5%); see “class projects” below for more details.
4. Academic Honesty and Plagiarism: Students are expected to honor Hunter College regulations on Academic Honesty and not to commit Plagiarism.  If you are not sure what Plagiarism is, you should consult the Writing Center (772-4212).

This project will provide opportunities to learn about major immigrant groups in the New York City.  This project has two components.

1] Group work (45% of the total grade)

You will work as group with one immigrant group of your common interest.  You will make a group presentation from 10/24 to 11/22.  Followings should be included in your presentation.

1. Immigration history of the immigrant group
2. Health belief of the group, and how they view and use current US health care system
3. Past and current health status of the group
4. Identify barriers and promoters in improving health status of the group
5. Identify groups and organizations established in the New York City area to help the immigrant group
 
1. During the first session, groups will be formed and will be given time to discuss.
2. A list of members of the group is due second session (5% of the total grade).  The list must also indicate the contact person’s telephone number and e-mail address.
3. Each group will meet with me twice before the presentation before/after class (5% each for the two meetings).
4. Presentation (20%)
5. A brief written report by group (10%)

You will choose one aspect of health (e.g. substance use, diet, diabetes, obesity or smoking) and study the aspect in the immigrant group.  You may incorporate your findings in your group presentation.  Your paper should not exceed 15 pages excluding references, tables, and figures.

1) Your proposal is due session 7. (5%)
2) Individual meeting over the proposal with me (5%) : This meeting can take a place in the chat room of the
    webpage.
3) The final product of your individual work is a written paper due X/X. (40%)

Written information (government report, research papers and so on)
Oral communication with people working with the group of your choice
 

 Check this cite regurarly!  New references may be added.

*Readings are on reserve, with exceptions of books.
* More readings may be added.  Please check this website regularly.

[Introduction]
1.  Immigration & Acculturation

a.  Who are the immigrants? (History); Why do they immigrate?
b.  What is acculturation process
c.   Immigrant, ethnicity, race, minority……

Forming groups for the class projects

Further Readings

• Portes & Rumbaut. Chapters 1, 4 and 5
• Berry J.W. (1992) Acculturation and adaptation in a new society. International Migration 30, 69-85.
• Berry J.W. (1980) Acculturation as varieties of adaptation. In Acculturation: Theory, Model, and some new findings. Ed. A.M. Padilla, pp. 9-26. Westview Press, Boulder.
• Gordon M.M. (1964) Assimilation in American life. Oxford University Press, New York

a. Issues on immigration and health
b. Bad or good health behaviors?
c. Effect of immigrant health on overall community

List of group members due

Further Readings

• Hull, D. (1979) Migration, adaptation, and illness: A review.  Social Science and Medicine, 13A, 25-36
• Polednak, A.P. (1989) Racial and ethnic differences in disease. Oxford University Press, New York.

a. Smoking
b. Alcohol consumption
c. Exercise
d. Drug usage

Further Readings

• Hayes, S., Harvey, C., Montes, H., and Cohen., B. Patterns of ciagerette smoking among Hispanics in the United States: Results from HHANES 1982-1984. American Journal of Public Health. 1990;80:47-53.

a. Nutrition and diet

Further Readings

• Lee SK, Sobal J, and Frongillo Jr. EA,  Acculturation, Food consumption, and Diet-related Factors among Korean Americans, Journal of Nutrition Education, in press
• Geundelman S, and Abrams B.  Dietary intake among Mexican-American women: Generational differences and a comparison with White non-Hispanic women. American Journal of Public Health. 1995;83:20-25
• Romero-Gwynn E, Gwynn D, Grivetti L, Mcdonald R, Stanford G, Turner B, West E, Williamsons E.  Dietary acculturaiton among Lations of Mexican descent. Nutrition Today. 1993;26:6-12

a. Obesity
b. Cancer
c. Heart Diseases

Further Readings

• Khan, LK, Sobal, J & Martorell, R. Acculturation, socioeconomic status, and obesity in Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Puerto Ricans.  International Journal of Obesity. 1997; 21:91-96
• Hazuda, HP, Haffner, SM, Stern, MP, and Eifler CW. Effects of acculturation and socioeconomic status on obesity and diabetes in Mexican Americans: The San Antonio Heart Study. American Journal of Epidemiology. 1988;128:1289-1301
• Marmot, M, and Syme, SL. Acculturation and coronary heart disease in Japanese Americans. American Journal of Epidemiology. 1976;104:22-247

6.  Barriers and promoters in immigrant health

a. Health care system
b. Language
c. Legal issues

Further Readings
Portes & Rumbaut, Chpter 8

7.  Urbaneness and immigrant health

Readings
Portes & Rumbaut, Chapter 2

Further Readings
 (Stay tuned!)

[Health status, health belief/culture of Specific immigrant group] (student presentation)
8.  Hispanic immigrant group
9.  Asian immigrant group
10.  Caribbean immigrant group
11. African immigrant group
12.  Eastern European immigrant group
 

[How to work and study with immigrant/multicultural groups in relation to health]
13.  Challenges in working with immigrant groups

Readings
Kymanyika, S., Morssink C.  Working effectively in cross-cultural and multicultural settings. In: Nutrition in the Community. AL. Owen, PL Splett, and GM Owen eds. pp.542-567.

Further Readings
Loue. Chapter 27. Strategies for Health Education: Theoretical Models & Chapter 28.  Strategies for Health Education: Community-Based Methods.

14.  How to study immigrant/multicultural groups

Readings
Loue. Chapter 5. Cross-Cultural Use of Measurements.

Further Readings
Sobal. J. Cultural comparison research designs in food, eating, and nutrition. Food Quality and preference. 1998; 9:385-392.

15. After thoughts

This session will be conducted in the chat room of the webpage in determined time.  This session will provide discussion on this course and ways to improve this course in future. Participation in this chatting is mandatory!

Useful Resrouces and links
* If you find intersting site, please let me know.  I will include them here.

Immigration and Naturalization Service
U.S. Bureau of the Census
State and Local Coalition on Immigration
New York City Department of Health - Cross Cultural Affairs Office
Center for Migration Studies
Latino Health Profile
Asian American Concerns, Issues, and Politics
New York Task Force on Immigrant Health

"was established in 1990. The Task Force is a network of health care providers, health care administrators, social scientiest, researchers, and community advocates.  Our membership also includes community based organizations and multiple municipal and volunatry hospitals.  It's mission is to facilitate the delivery of epidemologically informed and culturally and linguistically snesitive health services for immigrant and refugee populations.  This is accomplished  through research, policy development, training, education, program development and implementation, technical assistance and information dissemination on immigrant health issues."

Telephone: 212-263-8783. Fax: 212-263-8234. E-mail: nytfih.info@nyu.edu
 

Nick Freudenberg(Community Health Education/ Urban Public Health)
Tel 481-4364/ Fax 481-5260/ nfreuden@hunter.cuny.edu

Community based HIV/ substance abuse prevention programs that inevitably require considerations of ethnic/racial/immigrant status.

Adolescence health in relation with their adjustment; language usage in health care system access; mental health; relationship with New York Task Force on Immigrant Health

Working in research center;

Effects of acculturation on dietary practices and other health behaviors; sociological or anthropological meanings of the dietary practice changes

Currently conducting a study on second generations of various ethnic groups using telephone and in-depth interviews and ethnography.
Courses: General Immigration Sociology; New Community (both graduate level)

Immigrant labor issues (sweat shops, working environments, occupational health)
Course: Immigrant Policy (graduate level)

Transnational migration; religion and migration; forced migration from Africa
Courses: migration; Forced migration (both graduate level)

Ines Miyares (Geography)
Tel 772-5443/ ines.miyares@hunter.cuny.edu

Angela Ryan (Social Work)
Tel 452-7110

Bernadette Mc Cauley (History)
Tel 772-5543/ bernadette.mccauley@hunter.cuny.edu

Edward O’Donnell (History)
Tel 772-5540/ deward.odonnell@hunter.cuny.edu

Cordelia Reimers (Economics)
Tel 772-5444/ cordelia.reimers@hunter.cuny.edu

Randall Filer (Economics)
Tel 772-5399/ randall.filer@hunter.cuny.edu

Medi Bozorgmehr (Queens College)

Pyong Gap Min (Sociology/ Quees College)
Tel 718-997-2810/ pyong_gap_min@qc.edu