Our Elders, Our Roots: College Students and Immigrant Elders

Abstract

The contemporary demographic transition resulting from decreasing fertility rates and increased life expectancy has created an incremental proportion of elderly persons within the overall population. As we approach the next millennium, professionals involved in the education of future human service providers should address these demographic trends. America is aging, and the projected magnitude of changes in the population is clear. The number of people aged 65 and over is expected to increase. Within this aging population, demographers predict that the number of ethnic elderly will increase in the future because of increased longevity and the recent waves of (Johnson, 1996, p. 309). Intergenerational programming has emerged as a cost-effective way of mobilizing human resources and fostering cross-age understanding. The main belief of these programs is that each of us, at every age, has value and that by working together, we can be catalysts for social change (Intergenerational programming and service learning, 1995).This paper reports the findings of the initial stage of a service-learning project in which college students participated in weekly interactions with immigrant elders. A topic class called Our Elders, Our Roots: Intergenerational Relationships was used to provide the theoretical and reflective components. The goals of this project were:* to examine cross-cultural perspectives on the aging process within the family and the society;* to provide services (translations, advocacy) to immigrants/ refugees/elders with limited English proficiency;* to learn about the experiences of these elders;* to offer support to them in order to their needs;* to build friendships across age and cultures;* to increase students' knowledge and appreciation of their own cultural heritage;* to provide an arena where the connection between practice and theory becomes evident.Theoretical Framework of the ProjectSegregation by age and its consequences for human behavior and development pose problems of the greatest magnitude for our society. This social context and the prevalence of ageism have produced great impediments to the transmission of cultural heritage. We need to learn our history to be able to understand our present and, consequently, our future. The process of immigration has altered the roles of older people within the family unit. Furthermore, it has created discrepancies between new cultural demands and traditional roles (Gelfand, 1989). is critical to understand that ethnicity affects communication, interpretations, feelings, behaviors, values, and beliefs (Hines, Garcia-Preto, McGoldrick, Almeida, & Weltman, (1992). In analyzing intergenerational issues for elderly immigrants, the role ethnicity plays in the aging process should be examined, integrating gender issues, socioeconomic status, historical and sociopolitical contexts, generational place, education, and life experience.Intergenerational programs can affect healing within cultural groups, facilitate the transmission of traditions and values from old to young, and encourage the development of new cultural forms that reflect contemporary conditions (Intergenerational programming, 1994, p. 1). In the spirit of intergenerational programs, service-learning at the college and university level has been established with the intention of providing an avenue to integrate academic instruction with public service. It is a collaborative effort whereby students apply their classroom learning to inform and understand an individual or community being served (Delve, Mintz, & Stewart, 1990, p. 3). The tasks are to meet human needs in combination with conscious educational growth.... They combine needed tasks in the community with intentional learning goals and with conscious reflection and critical analysis (Kendall, 1990, p. 20). Throughout this process, the student is faced with the realities of individuals and groups from the community. …