Minorities
A Portrait of Older Minorities
Research Report
AARP Minority Affairs
November 1995
A Portrait of Older Minorities prepared by AARP Minority Affairs, provides a statistical overview of older minorities covering demographics, marital status, education, employment, income, poverty status, and health.
AARP Minority Affairs aims to improve the economic, social, and physical well-being of the nation's older minorities by addressing issues that directly affect their quality of life. In particular it seeks improved living conditions, greater participation in public private programs and agencies, and increased awareness of the status of minority older persons and of their many contributions to our nation.
Together, minority and non-minority older persons can enrich each other's lives and achieve the goal of a secure, fulfilling life for all older Americans.
Table Of Contents
- MINORITY ELDERLY
- BLACK ELDERLY
- HISPANIC ELDERLY
- ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER ELDERLY
- NATIVE AMERICAN ELDERLY
- FUTURE OUTLOOK
- TABLES AND FIGURES
- ENDNOTES
Minority Elderly1
- Although age is sometimes called the great equalizer, today's older persons are a highly diverse group. Differences in income, health and social supports significantly affect their quality of life. An important source of diversity is ethnicity.
- The status and resources of many minority older persons reflect social and economic discrimination experienced earlier in life. Many, especially those who have migrated to the U.S., face cultural and language differences as well.
- Consequently, minority groups in the U.S. have increased risks of poor education, substandard housing, poverty, malnutrition, and generally poor health.
- In recent years, the older population has been growing faster among minorities than among whites, and we can expect this trend to continue.2 In 1990, about 4.2 million persons or 13% of the population 65 and over were nonwhite. By 2025, 25% of the elderly population are projected to be nonwhite. By 2050, 35% are likely to be nonwhite.3
- Approximately 14% of the total white population in 1990 were age 65 or over, while 8% of the black population, 6% of Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 6% of Native Americans were 65 or older. Also, 5% of persons of Hispanic origin were 65 or older.
- Health care assistance is a special concern of minority older persons. Cultural and language differences, along with physical isolation and lower income, often make U.S. health care services difficult.
- Contrary to popular belief, older persons, both white and nonwhite, are not typically abandoned by their families. Admission to a nursing home is usually a last resort. Most minority older persons remain in the community and are cared for by family, friends and relatives. But as the number of frail older persons continues to grow, so does the burden placed on those who care for them.
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Black Elderly
- About 2.5 million (8%) of the black population in the U.S. were age 65 or over as of 1990. Of that group, about 230,000 (9%) were age 85 or over.
- Among black older persons, there are 63 men for every 100 women, while for whites there are 67 men for every 100 women. The sex ratio for black older persons is the lowest of all minority older persons. (Figure 2)
- Still, black older persons formed the fastest growing segment of the black population. Between 1980 and 1990, the black older lation increased 20% but the total black population increased only 13%.4
- Approximately one-fifth of black older persons live in nonmetropolitan areas, a somewhat lower proportion than white older persons (about one-fourth), and over 50% are concentrated in the Southeastern states. Of the remainder, most live either in North Central or Northeast regions. (Figure 3)
MARITAL STATUS
- Among both whites and blacks age 65 or older, the majority of men are married, the majority of women are widowed. (Figure 4)
- However, among older males, more than twice as many blacks as whites are divorced or separated, and a smaller proportion live with their spouses.
EDUCATION
- Unlike many immigrant minorities, black older persons were educated within U.S. school systems when access to educational resources was severely limited.
- Significant advances have been accomplished in the education of black older persons. In the period 1980-1990, the number of black older persons who have had no formal education decreased from 6% to 3.5%. However, among whites the proportion is lower (1%).5 Those black older persons ith formal schooling show a marked difference in educational achievement. For example, only 27% completed high school as compared to 56% of white older persons.6
EMPLOYMENT
- About the same percentage (12%) of blacks and whites continue to work after age 65. But among men, blacks have lower levels of lifetime labor force participation than whites.
- Black men also are more likely to have experienced periods of unemployment due to discrimination and other causes. Not only do black men accumulate less work experience, they also are more likely to leave the workforce earlier.
INCOME
- Blacks as well as other minority older persons typically are less likely to work in professions or jobs with high benefits. Also, less education, fewer skilled jobs, lower salaries, and long periods of unemployment mean blacks are less likely to accumulate income, other assets, and/or benefits and pensions. Consequently, black older persons on average have less personal post-retirement income and are thus more dependent on Social Security benefits for the majority of their retirement than are their white counterparts. The median income of black older persons is quite less than that of white elderly: about $7,328 for black men, $5,239 for black women, compared to $14,775 for white men, and $8,297 for white women. (Figure 1)
POVERTY STATUS
- In urban areas, 34% of black older persons live in poverty (one in three) while 10% of older whites are in poverty (one in ten). In nonmetropolitan areas, nearly one out of two black elderly live in poverty.7
- In the non-metropolitan areas, almost 15.7% of white women over 65 are poor but over 46.4% of non-metropolitan black women are in or near poverty.
HEALTH
- Black older persons are more likely to be sick and disabled, and to see themselves as being in poor health than white older persons. They have higher rates of chronic disease, functional impairment, and indicators of risk, such as high blood pressure. Black males have the highest incident of prostate cancer. At 65, mortality of blacks is higher than that of whites. Blacks of extreme old age (75+) have lower mortality rates but higher rates of poverty and illness.
Hispanic Elderly
- The Hispanic populations share a common language, but come from diverse cultures. As defined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the Hispanic community consists of persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Caribbean, Latin/Central American, or other Spanish origin.
- Nearly 1.2 million (about 5%) of the Hispanic population are 65 years of age or over, and of those almost 94,000 (1%) are 85 or older.
- Among Hispanic older persons, there are 71 men for every 100 women. (Figure 2)
- The proportion of Hispanic older persons (11%) living in non-metropolitan areas is less than half that of nonmetropolitan white elderly (27%).
- The vast majority of Hispanic older persons live in four states, each with different concentrations of Hispanic groups. While the majority of the Hispanic population in California and Texas are from Mexico and Central America, Florida attracts the Cuban population, and New York receives a large number of immigrants from Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Islands. (Figure 5)
MARITAL STATUS
- Nearly twice as many Hispanic men as women age 65 and older are married and living with their spouses, a pattern mirrored in the white older population.
- About the same proportion of women -- Hispanic and white -- are widowed. (Figure 4)
EDUCATION
- Of all minority older persons, those of Hispanic background are the least educated. The proportion with no formal schooling is nine times as great as for whites. Of Hispanics 65 and older, 10% have had no education and only 27% graduated from high school.
EMPLOYMENT
- The percentage of Hispanic older persons in the labor force is approximately the same as that in the white population (13% and 12%, respectively). (Figure 2)
- According to 1990 Current Population Survey data, Hispanic elderly are more likely to be unemployed than African American and white elderly.
INCOME
- The median personal income of older Hispanics aged 65 years or more is $6,411 while that of whites the same age is $10,767.
- Hispanic elders are less likely to receive Social Security than their African American and white counterparts, and are more likely to get the minimum benefit due to a history of low-paying jobs.
POVERTY STATUS
- The percentage of the Hispanic older population with incomes below poverty level8 is twice as large (22.5%) as among elderly whites (10%). Poverty rates are higher in nonmetropolitan than in urban areas, and higher among women than men.
- Thus nonmetropolitan women are the most impoverished group of all. For example, among older Hispanics, 22.7% of nonmetropolitan women have income below poverty level, as compared to 15.7% of white nonmetropolitan women.
HEALTH
- Many individuals in all groups 65 and over living outside of nursing homes reported at least one chronic ailment and some limitation in performing day-to-day activities. Older Hispanics have somewhat higher rates of activity limitation and spend more days per year in bed because of illness.
- Hispanics suffer from high rates of hypertension. Additional health concerns include cancer, high cholesterol, diabetes, and arthritis.
Asian/Pacific Islander Elderly
- Asian/Pacific Islanders in the U.S. include a number of distinct cultural groups: Asian Indian, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Guamanian, Hawaiian, Samoan and others.
- Although diverse in origin, Asian/Pacific Islanders share an immigrant history and similar treatment under U.S. law. The older Asian/Pacific Islander population consists mainly of two groups: (1) migrants who arrived during the turn of the century and their children, and (2) older migrants, primarily from Southeast Asia, who entered the U.S. in the 1970's with their families.
- Between 1980 and 1990 alone, there was a two-fold increase in the number of Asian/Pacific Islander older persons. About 455,000 (6.3%) of the Asian/Pacific Islander population are age 65 or over. Of those, about 154,000 (3%) are age 75 or over.
- The ratio between men and women is higher in the Asian/Pacific Islander population than in the other ethnic minority and white populations. There are 82 men per 100 women 65 and older for Asian/Pacific Islanders.
- The 1990 census shows that approximately 7% of older Asian/Pacific Islanders live in nonmetropolitan areas. More than 60% are concentrated in California and Hawaii. Of the remainder, most live either in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas, or the state of Washington. (Figure 6)
MARITAL STATUS
- As in the white population, the majority of Asian/Pacific Islander men aged 65 and over are married, while the majority of women are widowed. (Figure 4)
- Asian/Pacific Islander women age 60 and older are much more likely to be married than their white counterparts, with a smaller proportion remaining single in their later years.
EDUCATION
- Recent Asian/Pacific Islander migrants include a large number of well-educated professionals. Even so, more older Asian/Pacific Islanders lack formal education than do whites ( 10% versus 1%).
- Of all minority older persons, Asian/Pacific Islanders have the greatest proportion of high school graduates (47%), which is still less than that of white seniors (56%).
EMPLOYMENT
- Asian/Pacific Islanders are slightly more likely to continue working after age 65 than whites. At age 65 and over, approximately 16% of all Asian/Pacific Islanders work.
INCOME
- Median income for older Asian/Pacific Islander men (65 years or over) is less than that of white men in the same age group, $7,906 versus $14,775. The comparable figures for women are $6,570 for Asian/Pacific Islanders and $8,297 for whites. (Figure 1)
POVERTY STATUS
- The number of older Asian/Pacific Islanders living below the poverty level is slightly higher than that of the white older population. Overall, 13% of Asian/Pacific Islander elders and 10% of white older persons live below the poverty level. 9
- In non-metropolitan areas, older Asian/Pacific Islanders live at or near the same poverty level as whites (12%).10
- Of non-metropolitan women age 65 and over, 8% Asian/Pacific Islander and 15.7% white are in or near poverty.11
HEALTH
- Certain types of cancers, hypertension, and tuberculosis are major health concerns of older Asian/Pacific Islanders.
- Relatively little data exists on the use of health services by older Asian/Pacific Islanders, but a few studies have documented some significant factors. Older Asian/Pacific Islanders are less likely to use formal health care services, such as those reimbursed under Medicare. Cultural and language differences, a reliance on folk medicine, and a distrust of Western medicine help explain why.
Native American Elderly
- The Native American population includes Indians, Eskimos, and Aleuts.
- Because the Congress and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and not the individual States, are final arbitrators of questions regarding the needs of Native Americans, older Native Americans have less access to government assistance, which increases their risks of substandard housing, poverty, malnutrition, and poor health.
- Between 1980 and 1990, the Native American older population increased 52%, more than twice that of its white or black counterparts.
- About 114,000 (6%) of the Native American population are over 65. Of these, about 42,000 (37%) are age 75 or over.
- Among older Native Americans, there are 73 men for every 100 women. (Figure 2)
- About one-quarter of the older Native American population lives on American Indian reservations or in Alaskan Native villages. Almost half (45%) are concentrated in Southwestern states of Oklahoma, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Of the remainder, most live in states along the Canadian border. (Figure 7)
- A far greater proportion (53%) of older Native Americans live in nonmetropolitan areas than any other subgroup of the population. Only about 7% of older Asian/Pacific Islanders, 11% of older Hispanics, 21% of black and 27% of white older persons live in nonmetropolitan areas.
MARITAL STATUS
- The marital status of Native Americans is comparable to that of the white population. Of Native Americans and whites age 65 and over, the majority of men are married and a high proportion of women are widowed. (Figure 3)
- Like Asian/Pacific Islander women, older Native American women are more likely to be married in their later years than are white women. (Figure 3)
EDUCATION
- Older Native Americans have been educated almost exclusively within the U.S. school systems. The quality of that education, both on and off reservations, often has been poor.
- Nearly 10% of older Native Americans have no formal education; about 34% have graduated from high school.
EMPLOYMENT
- About the same proportion of Native Americans as whites continue to work after age 65 (11% versus 12%). (Figure 2)
INCOME
- The median income for Native American men aged 65 or over is $9,967, as compared to $14,775 for comparable white males. For women in this age group, the median income is $6,004 for Native Americans and $8,297 for whites. (Figure 1)
POVERTY STATUS
- Overall, 20% of Native Americans (versus 10% of whites) 65 years or older live below the official poverty level.
- In urban areas, 14% of older Native Americans are in poverty. In nonmetropolitan areas, the proportion is even higher (24% in 1990).
HEALTH
- Indian Health Service figures for 1990 show average life expectancy at birth for Native Americans to be only 67 years, eight years less than that of whites.
- American Indians and Alaskan Natives are 10 times more likely to develop diabetes than whites. In addition, alcohol abuse is a leading cause of health problems including accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, suicide, and homicide.
- The other major health problems of older Native Americans are tuberculosis, liver and kidney disease, high blood pressure, pneumonia, and malnutrition.
- The majority of older Native Americans rarely see a physician, primarily because those needing medical assistance often live in isolated areas and lack transportation. Native American traditions of ritual folk healing and the spiritual aspect of disease have also deterred reliance on a strictly scientific medical community. These factors are often neglected or overlooked by health care professionals and planners.
Future Outlook
- The status of the older minority members is not likely to improve greatly in the immediate future. The factors which largely determine their quality of life (education, employment, income, and health) will not vary much among the minority populations now approaching retirement age.
- For those minorities presently younger, the outlook is somewhat better. Increased opportunities for education and employment resulting in proportionately higher incomes and larger benefits and/or pensions, along with improved health care, means that the next generation of minority elderly may enjoy a higher quality of life than their predecessors.
- Efforts to enhance the status of the older minority population, like AARP's Minority Affairs, increase the likelihood of better living conditions and health. More can and should be done now to encourage the use of available programs and services, both public and private.
Tables And Figures
| Figure 1
MEDIAN INCOME FOR ALL RACES, 65+ | |||||
| 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 |
* * * * * * * * * * * * |
* * * * * * * * |
* * * * * * * |
* * * * * * * * * |
* * * * * * * * |
| White | Asian/ Pacific Islander |
Hispanic | Native American |
Black | |
| Figure 2
SEX RATIO AND LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION BY RACE FOR PERSONS 65+ | |||||
| Men per 100 Women | White | Black | Asian/ Pacific |
Native American |
Hispanic |
| 67 | 63 | 82 | 73 | 71 | |
| Percentage in Labor Force | 12% | 12% | 16% | 11% | 13% |
Source: 1990 (Census of the Population. Sex ratios are based on counts from Summary Tape File 1A; labor force participation data are computed using data from Social and Economic Characteristics, U.S. Summary, 1990 CP 2-1.
| Figure 3
STATES WITH CONCENTRATIONS OF BLACK ELDERLY 65+: 1990 | |
| Alabama California Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Michigan Mississippi |
Missouri New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia |
| Figure 4
Marital Status of Persons, 65+ | |||||
| RACE | Married % |
Widowed % |
Divorced/ Separated % |
Never Married % | |
| White | Male | 76.8 | 14.0 | 5.2 | 4.0 |
| Female | 41.8 | 47.6 | 5.8 | 4.8 | |
| Black | Male | 54.7 | 26.2 | 12.6 | 6.5 |
| Female | 25.5 | 56.2 | 12.6 | 5.7 | |
| Native American |
Male | 60.5 | 26.4 | 7.0 | 6.0 |
| Female | 43.4 | 31.4 | 20.1 | 5.0 | |
| Asian/Pacific | Male | 82.1 | 11.9 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| Female | 41 | 49.4 | 6.3 | 3.3 | |
| Hispanic | Male | 74.9 | 14.5 | 6.9 | 3.7 |
| Female | 36.5 | 46.5 | 9.7 | 7.3 | |
| Figure 5
STATES WITH CONCENTRATIONS OF HISPANICS 65+: 1990 | |
| Arizona California Colorado Florida Illinois |
Louisiana New Mexico New York Pennsylvania Texas |
| Figure 6
STATES WITH CONCENTRATIONS OF ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDERS 65+: 1990 | |
| California Florida Illinois Maryland Massachusetts Michigan |
New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania Texas Washington |
| Figure 7
STATES WITH CONCENTRATIONS OF NATIVE AMERICANS 65+: 1990 | |
| Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Florida Illinois Kansas Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana |
New Mexico New York Nevada North Carolina North Dakota Oregon Ohio Oklahoma South Dakota Texas Washington Wisconsin |
Endnotes for A Portrait of Older Minorities
1. Unless otherwise noted, all data and maps are based on the 1990 Census of Population, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Counts of persons by race, age, and sex are taken from the Summary Tape File 1 which uses the 100% data. Other data such as educational attainment, poverty status, and labor force status can only be obtained from sample data in the 1990 Census of the population. These percentages use weighted sample data in the base. Since these percentages are calculated based on sample estimates, they may differ from figures from a complete census.
2. Here the white population includes only whites who are not of Hispanic origin. Elsewhere, race and ethnicity are considered to be separate variables (this mirrors the categories used in most Census Bureau publications). It is important to note that in the remainder of the report, persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race and would be included in the race counts.
3. Projections data are from Population Projections of the United States, by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin: 1992 to 2050, U.S. Bureau of the Census.
4. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1980 Census of Population, vol. 1, chapter B; and 1990 Census of the Population, Summary Tape File 1A. All numbers comparing growth between 1980 and 1990 refer to the same sources listed here.
5. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1980 Census of Population, vol. 1, chapter D; Current Population Survey, 1990 March supplement.
6. Source: 1990 Census of the Population, 1990 CP-2-1.
7. Within 125% of poverty threshold.
8. Discussions of poverty rates are based on the 1990 poverty level, defined as $7,905 for older couples (65+), and $6,268 for individuals. In 1992, the poverty level was defined as $8,487 for couples and $6,729 for individuals 65 years or older.
12. The first figure comes from the March supplement of the 1992 Current Population Survey; the second figure comes from 1990 Census of the Population, CP-2-1.
A Portrait Of Older Minorities was produced by
AARP Minority Affairs.
Carrie Bacon, Project Manager, AARP Minority Affairs
Information researched and compiled by:
Research Statistics Center, Research Group, AARP
AARP is the nation's leading organization for people age 50 and older. It serves their needs and interests through information and education, advocacy and community services provided by a network of local chapters and experienced volunteers throughout the country. The organization also offer members a wide range of special membership benefits, including Modern Maturity magazine and the monthly Bulletin.