African Americans
Research shows that being a victim of racism, and internalizing beliefs on racism, speeds up the aging process among African-Americans. These studies suggest that those who experienced higher levels of discrimination showed more signs of aging thus shorter life expectancy (Parker, 2002).
The family and society play a crucial role in the African-American setting as those who suffer from different health conditions such as diabetes, and physical disabilities are accorded social support and psychosocial adaptation. This minority group is more likely to suffer from health and chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes (Parker, 2002).
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The role of the seniors is largely gendered with the male seniors being relied upon to nurture young men and act as role models and mentors. On the other hand, female seniors passed cultural meanings, such as self-reliance and value of children, to succeeding generations. However, a lot of changes in roles have occurred with the number of children living with grandparents drastically increasing (Parker, 2002). Therefore, a lot of challenges will inevitably present themselves in the form of finances, health, housing work, and education in the coming years.
Hispanics
On the other hand, Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States of America with many having their roots in Mexico, Central and South America, Puerto Rico, and certain Caribbean nations. Hispanic culture recognizes the respect for seniors or the elderly, and due to their strong family ties, support them (Tomaka, 2006). Many Hispanic families tend to have a traditional structure whereby three family generations are housed together. Since many of the elderly Hispanics are not well off, they are often welcomed to stay in their children’s homes (Tomaka, 2006). Consequently, family and social support may contribute to a better and longer aging process that is already diminished due to discrimination.
The role of the seniors in this culture is helping out in times of crisis such as family disputes and decision making in issues that involve their grandchildren. They believe they are emissaries of religion, Spanish as a language, and the Hispanic culture in general. However, due to urbanization, these roles tend to change as people become individualized. Moreover, the role of the family as a unit has also diminished (Tomaka, 2006). Consequently, some of these older adults are taken to stay in nursing homes for the elderly. Particularly, this is since the children and grandchildren are often busy working or in school. As a result, they cannot devote a lot of time to the needs of these seniors (Tomaka, 2006). This also depicts itself as a future challenge as the rate of urbanization is also on the increase. The seniors feel more neglected and uncared for unlike in the past where they were revered. Consequently, they continue to suffer from chronic health conditions such as heart diseases, diabetes, chronic liver diseases, high blood pressure, and cancer (Tomaka, 2006).
References
Parker, M. W., Bellis, J. M., Bishop, P., Harper, M., Allman, R. M., Moore, C., & Thompson, P. (2002). A multidisciplinary model of health promotion incorporating spirituality into a successful aging intervention with African American and white elderly groups. The Gerontologist , 42 (3), 406-415.
Tomaka, J., Thompson, S., & Palacios, R. (2006). The relation of social isolation, loneliness, and social support to disease outcomes among the elderly. Journal of aging and health , 18 (3), 359-384.
