Multiculturalism & Aging

The demographics of the senior citizen community are rapidly changing. It is estimated that the number of minority older people will grow from 5.7 million in 2000 to 33.5 million in 2050 (Novak, 2012). Clearly this population is changing and the way that libraries approach senior citizen programming will have to reflect these changes. It is important for Information and Library Science professionals to understand these changes so that they can provide the highest level of services to their communities.

There are many forces that will account for this increase in the older minority group populations in the future including fertility rates, migration patterns and mortality rates. The fastest growing minority group in the United States is Hispanic/Latino Americans. This population is rapidly growing due to its high fertility rate and high level of immigration.  In 2010, Hispanic persons made up 7.1% of senior citizens. By the year 2050 it is estimated that this population will be 19.8% of the total senior population (Novak, 2012). Therefore having an understanding of the unique issues that many Hispanic Seniors face is very important.

Understanding the diversity that is present within the Hispanic community is helpful when studying this population. Hispanics can trace their ancestry from many different counties including Mexico, Cuba, and Central and South America (Novak, 2012). Librarians should keep the following statistical information in mind when designing programs to serve Hispanic seniors or senior populations of the future:

·         Hispanic seniors suffer from high rates of chronic illnesses including Diabetes and Cancer.

·         Older Hispanics tend to have higher rates of disability with daily tasks like driving and managing finances than older whites and African-Americans.

·         Senior Hispanics often suffer from high rates of Depression.

·         Hispanic Americans generally have lower incomes than African Americans or whites.

(Statistics from Novak, 2012.)

Perhaps librarians need to focus on providing an increased level of information about resources where senior Hispanics can access preventative health care and mental health services.

Another senior citizen minority group that is rapidly growing is African Americans. In 2010, the African American senior population was 3.3 million. In the year 2050, this population is expected to group to over 9.9 million (Novak, 2012). In order to provide high quality services to all senior citizens, it is important for librarians to understand the following statistics:

·         African Americans have less knowledge about health issues and have less access to health care resources compared to whites.

·         Compared to whites, African Americans often are treated by doctors with less access to high-quality medical resources.

·         On average, senior African Americans have only about one quarter the net worth of white seniors.

·         Fewer African American senior live alone, they often live with children or grandchildren.

·         African American Seniors often highly value friendships and fictive kin.

(Statistics from Novak, 2012)

            By understanding the unique issues that minority seniors face, librarians can better serve patrons of today and prepare for the patrons of tomorrow.

 

Work Cited:

Novak, M. (2012). Issues in aging. (3 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.