Preface
During the 1990s, many immigrants to the United States chose to live in communities far from the traditional gateways for earlier generations. California, New York, and Texas continue to be home for the majority of immigrants, but in the last decade North Carolina, Georgia, and Nevada have more than tripled their numbers of foreign-born residents. And the population of immigrants has doubled in 15 other states, including many in the Southeast and Midwest.
Too often, immigrants become isolated from their neighbors because of differences in language and culture. Such isolation, especially among older adults, can harm their emotional and physical well-being.
How can aging and workforce development agencies help older immigrants overcome isolation by joining the workforce? How can older immigrants be introduced to American concepts of community service so that they might contribute to the social fabric of their new community?
This guide is intended to provide new resources to help you and your agency answer these questions. We hope to introduce you to ways of communicating effectively across different languages and cultures in the work-place setting. Most of this guide — especially the section Senior Scenarios — contains practical advice and tips you can apply right away.
We also want to update you on the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), the only federal program charged with assisting our nation’s most vulnerable low-income older adults — including immigrant seniors — to join or re-enter the workforce. First established more than 40 years ago, SCSEP is one of the major programs authorized by the Older Americans Act. It has become an indispensable program in response to the aging of the Baby Boomers and a projected increase in poverty among persons over 55.
By participating in SCSEP, immigrant seniors overcome isolation through paid community service employment opportunities. SCSEP creates new roles that embrace these seniors’ knowledge of other languages and cultures as a valuable resource, rather than a barrier to overcome. In these new roles, older newcomers learn about the workplace culture of their new homeland, help meet vital needs by working in local agencies, and ultimately reduce their financial dependence on others.