Principal Investigator
Abstract

This pilot project proposes to examine household size and composition among households with older Asian Americans.Specifically, I plan to examine the determinants of dependent versus independent living arrangements among older Asian American (immigrant and non-immigrants) relative to that of non Hispanic native-born whites. Previous research has established that immigrant elderly (especially those who are less acculturated and immigrated to the U.S. more recently) are more likely to have dependent living arrangements. There is some debate as to whether economic necessity or cultural norms are the driving mechanisms behind these patterns. Most studies argue that certain ethnic groups (i.e. Hispanic, Asian, and Eastern European) have a cultural preference for multigenerational households; hence, they are more likely to form such living arrangements (Wilmouth, 2001). However, others argue that disadvantaged minorities are more likely to form such households because each additional source of income forms an important contribution to the total household income or because older minority adults are especially economically disadvantaged, and cannot afford to live independently (Angel and Tienda, 1982; Phua, Kaufman, and Park, 2001; Glick and Van Hook, 2002). I plan to analyze data from the 5% PUMS of the 2000 U.S. Census, supplemented with 1990 Census data and interviews with Asian American elderly (the latter supported by a pending grant).

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Award Dates
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