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The Aging Apple: Older Immigrants a Rising Share of New York's Seniors,
Center for an Urban Future, May, 2017, 10 pp.
Author: Christian González-Rivera
This data
brief updates an earlier (2013) report on New York's immigrant senior population. Immigrant seniors now represent an even
larger share of the total senior population in the city, reaching almost 50 percent of the total (up from 46 percent in 2010).
The data brief reports trends in the senior population by nativity for the five boroughs, for particular neighborhoods,
and for selected countries of origin. As a group, immigrant seniors are 1.5 times as likely as native-born seniors to be poor,
and almost two out of three speak English less than very well, creating challenges for organizations trying to serve them
effectively. The median income of immigrant seniors citywide is $10,800, roughly half that of native-born seniors, which is
$20,800. One reason for the gap is the fact that 33 percent of older immigrants do not qualify to receive Social Security
benefits, compared to 17 percent of native-born seniors. The New Face of New York's Seniors,
Center for an Urban Future, July, 2013, 36 pp.
Author: Christian Gonzalez-Rivera
The New
Face of New York's Seniors by the Center for an Urban Future shows that, in the nation's most populous and diverse
city, immigrant seniors are a surprisingly large share of the aging population. Census data shows that one in 10 older immigrants
in the country calls New York City home. Immigrants comprise nearly half a million, or 46 percent, of the city's senior population.
Indeed, the median age of the city's immigrant population (43) is 14 years higher than that of the native-born population
(29). Informed by interviews with over 50 people active in the field of senior services, the report argues that the city is
not devoting sufficient attention to the health and well-being of its immigrant population. Immigrant seniors have lower incomes,
less in retirement savings, and receive fewer benefits from Social Security and Medicare. Their limited English proficiency
prevents them from accessing adequate healthcare, housing and even meals appropriate to their religious beliefs or medical
conditions. The authors recommend that the city prioritize outreach and service to immigrant seniors in its already commendable
senior services programs. Such an initiative would include strategies for increasing the level of, and access to, government
benefits; improving access to translators; taking advantage of technology to help older adults access services; updating city
housing regulations to allow extended families to live together; funding library-based English language courses especially
designed for the senior population; and funding capacity-building for, and service delivery by, promising immigrant community-based
organizations. (Denzil Mohammed) Senior Immigrants in the United States,
Migration Policy Institute, May 30, 2012, 10 pp.
After declining from 1960 to 1990, the number
of older immigrants nearly doubled from 1990 to 2010. The immigrant share of the elderly population in the U.S. is now
12 percent. This report provides a statistical portrait of the senior immigrant population, mostly drawn from national data
sets. More than half of older immigrants were limited English proficient. Forty-two percent had less than a high school education,
and 40 percent resided in low-income families, i.e. below 200 percent of the poverty line. Immigrants were also three times
more likely to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (12 percent vs. 4 percent for the native-born). Systems Change for Greater Cultural Competence in the Pennsylvania Disability Service and Support Sector,
Diversity Dynamics, LLC, for the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, 2011, 91 pp.
This report
concludes a two-year study of the responsiveness of the Pennsylvania disability service system to the needs and potential
of immigrants and other culturally diverse individuals with disabilities. Through the use of surveys, focus groups, structured
interviews, and a literature review, this report focuses on systems-level issues, traces the evolution of cultural competence
as a concept, creates a framework of core principles to guide system reform, identifies model practices both in Pennsylvania
and elsewhere in the country, and offers a series of recommendations for consideration by public and private entities in the
Commonwealth. The report devotes special attention to the newer cultural and linguistic groups that have settled in Pennsylvania
over the last 25 years. Do Cultural Competency Interventions Work? A Systematic Review on Improving Rehabilitation
Outcomes for Ethnically and Linguistically Diverse Individuals with Disabilities,
National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research, Technical Brief
No. 31, 2011, 12 pp.
This brief reports on a systematic review of disability-related empirical research bearing
upon the efficacy of "cultural competency interventions." The team of nine researchers identified a total of 3,022
titles and abstracts of potentially relevant studies published between 1980 and the present. Only 22 studies, however, met
the rigorous criteria for inclusion in the analysis, one of which was the use of control groups. Based on the analysis of
these 22 studies, the researchers conclude that "culturally adapted interventions do improve rehabilitation outcomes
for minority and immigrant individuals..." Disability and Displacement,
Special Issue of Forced Migration Review, July, 2010, 44 pp
This
issue is intended to address the neglect of disability among the world's 42 million displaced people. Twenty-six articles
examine conditions for people with disabilities in countries of origin or first asylum, such as Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, and
Yemen, as well as their experiences and opportunities in countries of resettlement, including the United Kingdom, New Zealand,
and the United States. In part, the articles are designed to debunk the myth that there are few people with disabilities among
displaced populations and to challenge the notion that accommodations are too costly or difficult to implement in crisis situations.
The final article calls for the development of a "conclusion" (or consensus statement) on disability to provide
operational guidance to staff of the UN High Commissioner on Refugees
The Use of Culturally Adapted Competency Interventions to Improve Rehabilitation Service
Outcomes for Culturally Diverse Individuals with Disabilities,
National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research, November 2, 2009, 80 pp.
This review
of 3,022 research studies published between 1980 and 2009 seeks to understand whether "the cultural competency training
of rehabilitation providers translates into better outcomes for the clients or consumers of these services?" There
is ample evidence that such training improves the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of service providers, but few studies have
attempted to assess the actual impact of culturally competent interventions on individuals with disabilities. In fact, only
22 studies met the rigorous criteria, including use of randomized control trials, set by the authors of this report.
These studies, however, pointed to statistically significant outcomes in four of five outcome measures. The authors conclude
with a recommendation for additional evidence-based studies to test the efficacy of "specific training approaches and
conceptual models..." The Rehabilitation Provider's Guide to Cultures of the Foreign-Born,
Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange (CIRRIE), University of Buffalo,
2001-2008
The thirteen monographs in this series contain specific information about the cultural backgrounds
of recent immigrants in the U.S., with special attention given to how disability and rehabilitation are viewed in each culture.
The monographs cover the top ten countries of origin of the foreign-born population: Mexico, China, Philippines, India, Vietnam,
Dominican Republic, Korea, El Salvador, Jamaica, and Cuba. There are additional monographs on the culture of Haiti and the
Muslim perspective. Resource Guide for Serving Refugees with Disabilities,
United Sates Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, 2007, 139 pp.
This publication is intended
primarily for resettlement workers needing to understand the disability service system in order to make appropriate referrals
for recently arrived refugees. Content was developed based on input from focus groups and surveys. Sections include: a description
of the disability legal and service framework in the U.S., services for adults with disabilities, services for children with
disabilities, housing, assistive technology and other topics. Latinos with Disabilities in the United States,
The World Institute on Disability, 2006, 51 pp.
Perhaps the first national overview of
the situation of Latinos with disabilities in the U.S., the report paints a bleak picture, finding "a strong reluctance
to seek services" among Latinos, coupled with "slowness" on the part of service organizations to use culturally
competent practices. Focusing primarily on vocational rehabilitation services, the authors discuss the cultural factors that
impede access to services. The report includes profiles of successful programs that are bridging the disability service system
and the Latino community. The report concludes with 13 "priorities for change," including "encourag(ing) diverse
interpretations of independent living....adopt(ing) effective outreach methods...integrating culturally appealing messages...and
educat(ing) Latino community leaders about disability issues." Culturally Competent Disability Support: Putting It into Practice, A Review of the International
and
Australian Literature on Cultural Competence,
Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of New South Wales, 2004, 99 pp.
This international
literature review focuses on individual practice and skills, as opposed to system and organizational change. The author discusses
the relationship between critical thinking, "scientific mindedness," ethnographic approaches and cultural competence,
and calls attention to the theme of "empowerment" which underpins much of the literature. A section of the report
discusses strategies for engaging families and ethnic communities in supporting individuals with disabilities. Finally, the
author cites examples of effective outreach efforts to ethnic communities, including messaging strategies and media selection. Cultural Brokering: Providing Culturally Competent Rehabilitation Services to Foreign-born Persons,
Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange, University of Buffalo, 2001, 50 pp.
This monograph is offered as "a starting point to understanding and providing culturally sensitive care
to foreign-born consumers" in the rehabilitation service system. The authors identify and describe the range of skills
involved in functioning as an effective culture broker, present a three-stage intervention model, and recommend
an assessment tool designed to elicit cultural information. The authors assume that cultural brokers will work as members
of the rehabilitation service systems, rather than as outside advocates. Disability and Access to Health and Support Services Among California's Immigrant Population,
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, January, 2000, 49 pp.
This report examines
rates of disability and disability service utilization among California's immigrant population. Utilizing data from three
supplements of the National Health Interview Survey of 1994, the researchers find that adult immigrants "are less likely
than U.S. natives to report any activity limitation, difficulties in any activities of daily living (ADL's), difficulties
in any instrumental activities of daily living (IADL's), and any days in bed..." Taking note of the lower socioeconomic
status and educational levels of immigrants, the authors conclude that the so-called "epidemiological paradox" in
health status, i.e. lower mortality rates despite higher known risks for poor health, also applies to disabilities. Lift Every Voice: Modernizing Disability Policies and Programs to Serve a Diverse Nation,
National Council on Disability (NCD), 1999, 137 pp
Noting that a "shameful wall
of exclusion" continues to exist for people with disabilities from diverse communities, the authors of this report update
an earlier 1993 NCD study on the plight of minority group members with disabilities. Informed by a public hearing in English,
Spanish, and Cantonese held in San Francisco, and other community forums in Atlanta and New Orleans, the report uses the testimony
of participants to highlight the multiple barriers faced by diverse people with disabilities. Among the problems noted in
the report is the tendency of some employers to practice "double discrimination" - not only showing reluctance to
hire persons with disabilities, but also being especially dismissive of disabled applicants with foreign accents. The report
also laments the small numbers of employees from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds employed in state and private disability
service organizations, and urges partnerships with organizations, such as religious organizations and community-based organizations,
that form part of the "internal social structure" of ethnic and minority communities. The report places great emphasis
on the importance of "culturally appropriate outreach" and urges federal agencies with responsibility for services
to people with disabilities to convene an interagency team to mount a "large-scale outreach and training program"
to inform community members of available supports and services.
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