ETHNIC MINORITY ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS

ETHNIC MINORITY
ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS
Ethnic minority elderly individuals include five ethnic
populations in the United States: African Americans;
Alaska Natives and American Indians; Asian
Americans;Hispanics andLatinos; and Pacific Islander
Americans. Elderly is defined as the age of eligibility
for social security benefits (65, 66, or 67 in the future).
Another way to define elderly maybebyagenorms
(e.g., transition to grandparenthood) determined by
society.
The number of ethnic minority elders is projected to
grow rapidly over the next 50 years, from 12.3% in
2000, to 14.1% in 2020, to 18.3% of the elderly popu-
lation in 2050 (or a change from 984,000 in 2000, to 5.8
million by 2050). Ethnic groups can differ in health and
mental health status, culture, acculturation, immigra-
tion status and history, discrimination history and its
ongoing negative legacy impacting socioeconomic sta-
tus and educational and employment opportunities, and
stressors that impinge on the quality of later life