Just walk on by brent staples thesis statement

Research Paper

Read the selections. For each article/essay, find THREE examples of how the author experienced

discrimination.

Mandatory readings:

“What’s in a Name?”

“Just Walk on by: A Black Man Ponders his Power to Alter Public Space” by Brent Staples

“The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria” by Judith Ortiz Cofer

“Is Discussing Hijab Off Limits? Overcoming Sexualizing Muslim Women”by Umm Zakiyyah

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The introduction should start with an interesting statement, fact, definition, quote, or question to

grab the reader’s attention (HOOK).

Next, you should have a brief historical overview of discrimination in America. You will research

facts to show how events and laws developed in hopes of ending and preventing discrimination.

You MUST use MLA in-text citations to give credit to the sources of these facts whether they are

paraphrased or quoted. No more than one quote per paragraph in your essay!

There should be a transition sentence that will connect this history to the idea that minority

authors have expressed their experiences and frustrations with discrimination in their literary

works.

The last sentence should be your thesis statement where you state that minority authors have

exemplified their experiences with discrimination in their writing/literary works. You should state

the names of the authors in the order that they will appear in your body paragraphs.

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In the body paragraphs, you must state the title of the reading selection and the author’s name.

The examples in the body paragraphs must include:

 the discriminatory act/event

 how the author felt as a result

 how the author reacted/responded to this experience

Each body paragraph should end with a transition sentence that leads the reader to the next

paragraph.

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The conclusion should restate the thesis statement in different words. Follow it with a brief

summary of the evidence provided in the body. End the paper with a concluding sentence which

highlights the importance of this topic, hopes for the future, or a quote.

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Make sure the ENTIRE PAPER IS WRITTEN IN THIRD PERSON! This is a research essay that

should use formal language. Avoid contractions, slang, or informal words or phrases. All sources

must be cited in the essay using MLA in-text citations.

The last page of your paper should be the Works Cited page which lists, in alphabetical order, the

sources you used. Please refer to MLA 8 th edition guidelines