Adjustments of Korea-born Immigrant Elderly in the United States

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

A sample of 9 Korea-born elderly people (2 men & 7
women) living in New England, aged 69 to 81, was interviewed
through telephone to investigate the extent of their adjustment to
immigration life. A questionnaire was developed to assess mental/
physical health status, acculturation level, intergenerational interaction,
life satisfaction, and factors linked to immigration life
stressors. Due to a small sample size, any types of statistical
analyses were not conducted. All respondents rated their health
as somewhat worse compared with a year ago, while a majority
of them did not show any problems in emotional health. A grasp
of English was found to be the least acculturated area. Most
respondents rated their financial satisfaction as even. No matter
how long they resided in the U.S. or what SES they were located
in, the Korean American elderly sampled still followed Korean
customs. Marginalized from their families and American society
in general, the interviewees not only expressed their wish to be
independent from their adult children financially, but also help
them as much as they could. Those whose primary source of
income was the Supplementary Security Income rated financial
difficulties as their paramount concern for their future living
conditions. This paper argues that U.S. welfare policy needs to
reflect acculturation status of the minority elderly who still
maintain a strong attachment to their ethnic heritage.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Rationale for Study
• Korean Elderly Profiles
• Literature Review
• Method
• Findings
• Discussion
• References