Hispanic American

The Hispanic diversity of the United States has been well documented in immigration and population numbers for many years. In 1994, there were 26.4 million Hispanic Americans living in the United States. In 2005 the number had increased to over 35 million. Today the number is over 48.4 millions people. (Wikipedia) Our Hispanic population has given the United States many contributions to politics, economics, family traditions and bilingual advancement in the world.

Although Hispanic American share a common language, they come from quite varied cultural backgrounds. The four main groups of Hispanic citizens are the people from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Latin Americans. Each group has its own unique history and relationship with this country. As a result, thre is often great diversity between subgroups when it comes to values and expectations.

The U.S. population will soar to 438 million by 2050 and the Hispanic population will triple, according to projections released by the Pew Research Center. The projected growth in the U.S. population 303 million today will be driven primarily by immigration among all groups except the elderly. Hispanics' share of the population will increase because they have higher birth rates than the overal population. That's largely because Hispanic immigrats are younger then the nation's aging baby boom population. By 2030 all 79 million boomers will be at least 65 and the elderly will grow faster than any other age group. (USATODAY.COM)

Minorities tend to have shorter life expectancies in 1986 the averages U.S. life expectancy at birth was 74 years. The average life expectancy of a minority individual was 69 years more than five years less (Harper, 1991). Hower Hispanic persons who do survive to old age tend to live longer. Life expectancy for Hispanics is 80. Although there are no definitive answers explaining this crossover phenomenon, one suggestion in coping with stress throught their lifetime (Greene & Siegler, 1984) In any case, this phenomenon is an indication that chronological age may not be an adequate measure in developing policies to meet the needs of older adults ( Jackson, 1985b; Markides & Michael, 1984)

Hispanic Americans are also more likely to be unemployed than black american and wite elderly. As a consequence, elderly Hispanics, especially those 75 and over are found to experiences high rate of poverty. Hispanic Elderly are also less likely to receive Social Security benefits (Maldonado, 1990). Those that does receive this supplemental income are more likely to be dependent on it, as a life time of hard work in skilled labor positions, with deficient or non-existend retirement programs, have left many unprepared to sustain themselves independently.

Physical health is a major concern for Hispanic elderly. In fact, it is generally ranked as the most serious concern and fear that Hispanic elderly face (Torres-Gil, 1990). Of those who are now their 60s and 70s, many began work at a very early age. As primarily skilled works, this work often involved hard physical labor that left them vulnerable to a number of illnesses and disabilities (Izaguirre, 1991). All groups, age 65 and over, a greater number of Hispanics repor at least one chronic illness and some limitations in daily functioning. Hypertension is a particular problem in Hispanic population. High rates of cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and high cholesterol are also found among the Hispanic elderly (American Association of Retired Persons 1990). Functional status has, in turn been linked with mental health staus. For example, Hispanic elders experiencing greater activity limitation tend to report higher rates of mood disorders, like depression.

Regarding housing Hispanic eldery are found