Most U.S. Foreign-Born Elders of European Descent
AgeVenture News Service (11-04-02)
Among the nation's 3.1 million foreign-born
people age 65 and over in 2000, 39 percent came from Europe, 31 percent from Latin America and
22 percent from Asia, according to a report released by the Commerce Department's Census
Bureau. The profile of our elders is rapidly changing as America continues
to become more diverse.
"Historically, Europe has been the primary source of immigration to this
country, and the European-born was the single largest group among the
older foreign-born population in 2000," said Wan He, author of
"The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000".
Here's a summary of the report's findings.
- 65-plus foreign-born population (3.1 million) represents
1-in-10 of the entire foreign-born population (28.4 million).
- Europe accounted for 39 percent of the older foreign-born.
- Latin America accounted for 31 percent of the older foreign-born.
- Almost two-thirds of the older foreign-born population in 2000 lived
in the United States for more than 30 years.
- Seventy percent of the older foreign-born population were naturalized citizens.
- 1.7 million households are maintained by a foreign-born elder.
- Older foreign-born householders were twice as likely (20% vs 9%) as their native
counterparts to live in a family household.
- 35 percent) of the older foreign-born population lived in the West.
- 38 percent of the older native population resided in the South.
- Foreign-born people comprised 45 percent of the 65-and-over population
who lacked health insurance.
- For the older foreign-born and native population alike, women were
twice as likely to live alone as were men.
This data, says the National Institute on Aging, will help policy-makers
address the racial, ethnic, and cultural needs of our increasingly diverse
older population.
See related articles in AgeVenture archives.
Global Aging Presents Diverse Case Scenario
Read more about trends in Aging.
Read more about senior lifestyles.
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