"Most Asian Indian older immigrants who settle in this country after the age of 60 are sponsored by their adult children under The Family Reunification Act of 1990, which offered many naturalized and legal immigrants the opportunity to encourage their parents to relocate to the United States (U.S.). The primary reasons that late-life immigrants relocate to the U.S., are to assist their adult children with childcare or to facilitate caregiving. They are often a vulnerable population due to limited English language proficiency, little or no U.S. work experience and weak ties to social institutions. Among Asian Indians, there is greater reliance on families who play a crucial role in the health and well-being of older adults. Using an integrated framework incorporating aspects of Acculturation theory with the Relational and Resilience Theory of Ethnic Family Resilience, this qualitative study focuses on the unique challenges of aging out of place in the immigrant context, in addition to highlighting the concomitant challenges faced by the families in adjusting to multigenerational living arrangements and intergenerational relationships. A total of 20 participants from 8 Asian Indian families residing in the United States, were interviewed using qualitative in-depth interviews. The participants consisted of 9 late-life parents aged 70 to 89 who relocated to the U.S., between 5 to 20 years ago, 8 adult children with whom the parents reside and 3 spouses. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis protocol. The findings suggest that late-life immigrants can adapt to U.S. culture with the support of their families and with the addition of community involvement. Positive relationships with children and grandchildren support this acculturation process and provide a route to adaptation for older adults that also contribute to family well-being. The reciprocity of benefits for older adults and their families also enhances the intergenerational aspects of family resilience. Research findings will contribute to the development of a resilience framework that will help inform effective assessments and intervention strategies, for clinicians and other helping professionals, in their efforts to identify key family processes that cultivate, develop, and nurture family system resilience in immigrant families."--Pages ii-iii.
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