Household Status and Headship among Unmarried Asian Indian Women in Later Life

Abstract

This study applies a conceptual framework to the living arrangements of older unmarried Asian Indian women in the United States that allows for the evaluation of cultural diversity. The model holds that living arrangements at the end of the life cycle are determined by three sets of factors: availability of kin, feasibility as related to economic and health status, and desirability of living arrangements as related to cultural identity and adaptation. The multinomial logistic regression results show that despite the strong family norms of Asian Indians and their minority group status, older unmarried Asian Indian females are more likely than their White counterparts to live alone. In a separate analysis of Asian Indian women, the evidence shows that acculturated Asian Indian females are more likely than less acculturated members of this ethnic group to live alone as compared to living as part of a larger household without headship.