Strengthening Programs and Services for Immigrant Seniors in Challenging Economic Times

Abstract

Elderly immigrants are among southeastern Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents, and providing cost-effective, culturally and linguistically targeted services for this population is a pressing challenge facing nonprofits in the Philadelphia region. Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Asian population increased by 58% in the past 10 years according to U.S. census data, much faster than the 5% growth in the region’s population. The Asian American community’s demographic expansion tells a story of vibrant, growing communities; however, a corresponding increase in the needs of the most vulnerable, particularly the elderly, has accompanied this growth. Asian seniors are more likely than other seniors to face language and cultural barriers in accessing needed social services including health information, public benefits, housing, socialization and recreation activities and transportation. While only 12% of seniors in the United States are immigrants, 81% of Asian seniors were foreign-born. Additionally, 60% of Asian seniors report speaking English “less than well” compared with 8% of all seniors, and 12.5% live below the poverty line compared to 10% of seniors nationwide (Asian American Federation 2009). Asian seniors are thus more likely than other seniors to encounter linguistic and social isolation and live in poverty.