Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio

Brandon Bungo, Summer 2014

I sat still, in perfect silence in a house of strangers. The conversation in the room seemed to move by quickly, and I couldn't name the language being spoken at the time. When they all laughed, I forced a naive chuckle to fit in. If they looked at me, I smiled, but said nothing. And though I stood out as a misfit in the room full of Bhutanese refugees, I didn't feel out of place: I was in my home country. If for any reason I became afraid, or they threatened me, or they refused to help me, I could walk a few feet out the door and return to the world I knew. If they took those same steps, they may not have those same privileges.

The journey a refugee must take to enter the United States would seem impossible if drawn out on a map. Whether due to war or oppression, they are forced from their homes and must take a gamble that they will be safer somewhere else. They may spend years wandering through neighboring countries, and still several more years applying for resettlement to the U.S. once they reach a refugee camp. Then, after decades of hardship, they travel here to start a new odyssey.

I had never considered how many components of what we see and do each day are parts of our culture. Having never been far outside of the U.S. these things became second nature. But as I worked with clients at Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio (CCSWOH), I began to develop a true appreciation for how incredibly complicated assimilating into a new place can be. Language is an obvious and powerful barrier, but there are many other obstacles as well. Using a stove, a shower, a sink, crossing the street, locking your door, riding the bus, and using a phone are all actions that require training.

During my time at CCSWOH I repeatedly ran into these obstacles when trying to connect with clients. Even if we could manage to find a phone number to contact them by, we weren't always confident they would be able to find transportation to events or understand where they were headed. When I began scheduling medical appointments and teaching them about health topics, I started to consider how terrifying the arena of health care must be.

Many Americans are confused by our own health care system. It is expensive, it is difficult to access, and it is incredibly complicated. Adding in the countless obstacles refugees face on a regular basis makes health care seem almost unobtainable. As a future physician, I've seen first-hand how the structure of a community and its clinics can directly impact the health of its members. These social determinants of health can be as critical as the medication a patient is taking when it comes to their health. I've developed a greater sense of awareness of their importance, and greater sense of purpose in working to overcome them from by time at CCSWOH.