Chapter 7 Immigrants and Urbanization Section 1 The New Immigrants.
IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES: AGING ISSUES & CHALLENGES Muthoni Imungi, Assistant Professor School of...
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Transcript of IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES: AGING ISSUES & CHALLENGES Muthoni Imungi, Assistant Professor School of...
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IMMIGRANTS AND
REFUGEES: AGING
ISSUES & CHALLENGE
S
Muthoni Imungi, Assistant ProfessorSchool of Social Work
Grand Valley State University
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DEFINITIONS
• Who is a “REFUGEE”
• 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (28 July, 1951) defines a refugee as
• Any person who is outside their country of origin and unable or unwilling to return there or to avail themselves of its protection, on account of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular group, or political opinion.
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DEFINITION
• Who is an “IMMIGRANT”
• An immigrant is anyone who moves from one country to another with the intention of settling there permanently
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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO
• IMMIGRANT• Makes the decision
to migrate
• Often safe journey
• Is able to return to their home country
• 37.9 million in 2007
• REFUGEE
• Is forced to migrate
• Arduous and dangerous journey taking days, months.
• Most often do not have the ability to return home
• 48,281 in 2007
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U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICY
• Three sets rules:
1 Govern legal migration, mainly family reunification or employment. U.S. citizens 21 or older could sponsor the immigration of their PARENT’S, as well as spouses and minor children. [IMMIGRANTS]
2 Govern humanitarian reasons for entering the U.S. i.e. those fleeing oppressive political regimes, parolees and those admitted during emergency situations [REFUGEES AND ASSYLUM SEEKERS].
3 Govern illegal immigration [UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS]
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WELFARE POLICY INFLUENCE
• Type of entry governs social welfare entitlements
• REFUGEES
• Are entitled to special assistance similar to those of U.S. citizens i.e. SSI, AFDC, TANF, Medicaid, food stamps (Refugee Act of 1980)
• IMMIGRANTS
• Are excluded from federally funded program for the first 5 years (PROWRA Act of 1996)
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WHY FOCUS ON OLDER ADULTS
• In 1900s older adults comprised 5% of the population
• According to a recent census older adults comprised 12.7% of the population or 33 million people
• Trend towards a growing older adult population is expected to continue to rise as more adults live into late life
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OTHER CHANGES IN THE OLDER ADULT POPULATION• The older adult population will increase in diversity
• Between 1990 and 2050 the non-white older adult population in the U.S. is projected to double from 10.2% to 21.3% (0thers 16% to 32.6%)
• Between 1990 and 2050 the Asian population over the age of 65 increase by 625% followed by Hipsanic, Native American and African Americans at the rate of 150%
• At the turn of the century, the non-Hispanic-white population will account for approximately 72% of the U.S. Population, by 2050 they will account for less than 53% of that same populatin
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REASON FOR DIVERSITY
• Older adults resettled as refugees and immigrants
• Aging of younger cohorts of immigrants
• Immigration• Over the past 40 years immigration
streams have shifted towards Africa, Asia and Latin America
• Family reunification, enable older parents immigrate
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KNOWLEDGE GAPS
• Little research on older adults in general because the comprise a small percentage of the population
• Event less is known of the health or health trajectories in older immigrants and refugees
• Increase in number of older immigrants and refugees in the U.S. presents a new challenge to practitioners and policy makers concerned with promoting healthy aging.
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AGING CHALLENGE
SIMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES
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LANGUAGE
• Many older adults who immigrate later in life from non-English speaking countries do not speak English
• For example, in 20001• 4.5% of older adult Asian Immigrants spoke English
well• 42.8 spoke English less than very well• 18.6 had graduate/professional degrees
• No research evidence suggests that older adults cannot successfully learn another language, however, evidence finds that it is easier for pre-pubescent children to acquire language faster and speak it without an accent
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ACCULTURATION
• LANGUAGE• Lack of language hampers acculturation.
• MOBILITY• Older adults may also be more home-bound
resulting in less interaction with mainstream culture, thereby hampering acculturation
• Older age at immigration is associated with lower levels of acculturation, acculturative stress and depression.
• DIFFERING RATES OF ACCUTURATION• Differential rates of acculturation within families
are source of distress• It is near impossible for older immigrants to
achieve complete assimilation to a new culture
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LOSS
• LOSS OF FAMILIARITY AND NETWORKS• Older adults had previously established roots,
relationships and a familiar way of life in their home country
• Moving to a new culture where they have few if any network and no established way of life can lead to feelings of loss
• Feelings of loss and isolation are common
• VIEW OF OLDER ADULTS• Many come from cultures where old age is equated
with wisdom and privilege to a culture where it is associated with loss of productivity
• Loss of status is experienced
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LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
• MULTIGENERATIONAL LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
• Most immigrants who arrive as older adults are sponsored by their adult children through family unification
• Older adults are unlikely find employment or may not able to work. Without a source of income they often live with their children’s families
• Having to share space with their young children is often a radically different living arrangement that can be a source of distress and depression
• Multiple generation households can also lead to strained relationships
• According to the 2000 U.S. census approx. 50% of immigrants 65 years and older lived in the homes of their children compared to 4% of older U.S. born immigrants
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LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
• POOR HOUSING
• Older adults immigrating in the past 20 years are likely to live in the inner city in substandard and overcrowded housing which sometimes lacks basic necessities
• The living conditions have implications for
• Physical health
• Mental health
• Safety
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HEALTH• PROWRA (1996)
• Barred legal immigrants admitted after September 1996 from many federal and state benefits. States can also bar legal permanent resident aliens from TANF, AFDC and Medicaid.
• This waiver is especially aimed at baring sponsored immigrants from becoming a public charge
• Public welfare and immigration policy place responsibility for taking care of older adults solely on family members
• Taking care of older adults can be especially burdensome to immigrants and refugees with limited social support and knowledge of resources
• A study in Canada found that recent older adult immigrants, had poorer health than longer-domiciled immigrants or Canadian citizens
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HEALTH
• Older adults may suffer poor health because
• They are not be able to see health practitioners due to high cost and lack of insurance
• Older adults may not mention their poor health for fear of further burdening the family
• Lack of understanding of the health system and cultural norms may prevent their seeking health care
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MENTAL HEALTH
• Isolation, limited language ability, loss, poor health can be a source of depression and anxiety among older adults
• Refugees may especially be prone to poorer health and PTSD
• Older adult immigrants however may not seek mental health services for these problems because they may not be familiar with the disorders or symptomatology
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ELDER ABUSE
• The limited acculturation, language ability and income of older adults immigrants means that many of them will depend on family member for financial support, transport, language an cultural brokering.
• This sense of responsibility can be overwhelming for family members that can lead to elder abuse
• Physical Abuse
• Financial abuse
• Emotional abuse
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INTERVENTIONS
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INTERVENTIONS
1 Language classes tailored for older adult
2 Acculturation and adaptation services
3 Sensitization about mental health disorders
4 Access to culturally competent mental health and health practitioners
5 Funding for mental health and health care services
6 Adult day care services/friendship classes
7 Family preservation programs
8 Advocate for policy changes
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Research Interventions
• To provide appropriate services to older immigrants from diverse backgrounds service providers need to understand their race/ethnicity, culture, immigration history, acculturation level and family relationships.
• Need to understand health status and health behaviors
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Research
• Little research looking at within group diversity
• Asian immigrants constitute people from over 20 different nations
• Most research aggregates cultural groups as one thereby masking important health disparities