Asian and Pacific Islander Americans

Asian Americans

According to the 2000 U.S. census, there were 1,143,590 Asian American elders age 60 years and older, with the fastest rate of growth being fueled by immigration and the “graying” of API baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964). API elders (age 65 years and older) are roughly 34.6% native born, 23.3% foreign born living in the United States less than 10 years, and 42.1% foreign born living in the Unites States 10 years or more in 1989–1994. In 2002, Asian American elders were composed of 29% Chinese, 21% Filipino, 20% Japanese, 9% Korean, 8% Vietnamese/Cambodian, 1% Hmong, and 12% from other Asian ethnicities. A large majority of Asian elders are foreign born (78.6%) and have limited English proficiency (41%). Limited English proficiency, cultural differences, immigration with lack of citizenship (25.7% for the API population vs. 2.9% for the U.S. population), and lack of insurance coverage are significant barriers to health care access by the Asian elderly. Underuse of health services is exacerbated by lack of regular physicians and significant access barriers to a complex health care system.

In 2000, heart disease was the leading cause of death among Asian men, and cancer was the leading cause of death among Asian women. The lower incidence of heart disease among Asian Americans, especially women, contributed to better health outcomes for the Asian elderly group. There are high rates of certain cancers (e.g., lung cancer among Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Hmong males; colorectal and liver cancers; cervical cancer among Vietnamese women) and an alarming growth in the rates of breast cancer among Japanese and Chinese American women who are native born or long-term residents. The rate of dementia among Asian American elders appears to be comparable to that among Caucasian elders; however, the Asian American elderly had a higher rate of vascular dementia and a lower rate of Alzheimer's dementia, although this ratio may be changing. Another health disparity for the Asian elderly is the lower rates of health screening and disease prevention. For instance, immigrant Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Hmong women have low breast and cervical cancer [Page 58]screening rates as compared with those of Caucasian and African American women.

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