Journal Activity: Week 4

0. Novak, M. (2011). Issues in Aging. 3rd ed. Boston, MA: Pearson.  
   

Discussion questions, p. 197

3. What are the demographic forces that will account for the increase in the older minority group population in the future? Do the forces vary for different minority groups? If so, how? What effect will this increase have on American society?

Mortality, fertility, and migration are the demographic forces that will account for the increase in the older minority group population - the population is expected to double by 2050. These demographic forces do vary for different minority groups - for instance, Latino Americans have high levels of fertility (Mexican Americans have a high birth rate and a large number of young adults) and immigration (Cuban Americans make up 14% of the over 65 Latino population), both of which will add to the growth of its older minority population in the future. The Asian Pacific Island group is not mentioned as having a high birth rate, but many of their subgroups have an elderly population that either has a long history in the United States, such as Chinese Americans and Japanese Americans, or are recent immigrants, as is the case with Vietnamese and Cambodian elderly people. Across the board, minority groups have a long life expectancy. With these three demographic forces combined, the growing minority older population is expected to put a strain on family supports and turn to formal healthcare and social services support, which will have to adapt to the needs of the minority elderly population.

9. What barriers keep Asian Americans from getting the social supports they need as they age? Do some of these barriers apply to other minority groups? How can social service agencies overcome these barriers?

To answer the first question: language and cultural barriers, the same barriers that keep other minority groups from accessing formal support or other city, county, and public services (think of the people in the community that do not use the library because of a language barrier). Many Asian adults follow the cultural expectation of caring for their elderly parents, and they often seek assistance from formal support to help care for their parents. For older Asian people that live alone and lack family supports, formal social services are essential, but difficult to access when language and cultural barriers get in the way. Social services agencies could improve their services to the needs of their Asian American clients - or any minority group that is prevented from accessing social services due to language/cultural barriers -  by providing diversity training, hiring bilingual or multilingual social workers, and client education programs (certainly something a library program could provide).