The population of the United States is expected to grow
from 296 million in 2005 to 438 million in 205 of which 82% of that increase
will be due to immigration. (Passel & D'Vera, 2008) Of the many immigrant
groups set to be part of the increase, by far the largest of these groups is
the Mexican American which will see a rise in population from 1.3 million
currently to 14.7 million by the year 2050. (Angel, 2011) With such a large
increase in population number, it is imperative that the social and cultural
dynamics of this group of people be understood. With a better understanding of
these factors, those that help can be encouraged, and those that do not can be
addressed. A good example of this is familism. It was once believed that
familism was a roadblock to socioeconomic mobility. (Tienda & Mitchell,
2006) However, some studies have found that familism, within the MA family, may
actually provide a certain amount of protection from poverty in the form of
extended family networks, family cohesion, and social support. It is practices
like familism that may be encouraged so that those in need may not fall victims
to isolation due to their lack of English and formal education. Taking
advantage of familism, government agencies and health care agencies may look to
get that larger social and family network more involved in the care of their
elderly family members in an attempt at reducing both the moral and financial
cost to society when this elderly and vulnerable population sometimes goes
untreated, mistreated, or under-treated.
Angel, J. (2011, April 28). Aging in america: The
latino perspective. Know. Retrieved from http://www.utexas.edu/know/2011/04/28/angel_jacqueline/
Passel, J., & D'Vera, C. (2008, February 11). U.s. population
projections: 2005-2050 . Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2008/02/11/us-population-projections-2005-2050/
Tienda, M., & Mitchell, F. (2006). Hispanics and the
future of america.
(p. 149). Washington:
The National Academies Press.
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