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Amber Panetta
Anthology 302
Dr. Belousova
Aging
Aging is a difficult process for many to deal with. Aging specifically in the Hispanic
community is an interesting concept because of the cultural implications that come with age.
Once a parent has reached a certain age there is a unspoken expectation that the adult children
will care for their needs. Nursing homes, and adult care centers are looked down upon and
instead these parents expect to live with their older children. Through several generations, it has
become a cultural phenomenon for children to care for their older parents. It is a form of respect
for children to take on the responsibility to care for their parents despite trying to care for their
own families. Many Hispanics who immigrated to the United States still hold on to the traditions
and beliefs brought over from their motherland. Some of these traditions are very different from
the “American way”, which many Hispanics view as disrespectful and careless. Hispanic people
are more likely to take care for their older family members as opposed to sending them to a
nursing home. The perception of aging within the Hispanic community is that the older children
must give back to their parents by taking them in and caring for their needs.
Aging within the Hispanic/Latino community is an odd occurrence because one does not
become old because of their age instead it depends on ones ability to move, and socialize. If
someone who is conventionally old because of their age, but can still attend social events and do
their daily routine, they are not considered “old”. Being old in the Latino community is all
dependent on how an individual feels as opposed to letting a number define their ability.
However, once someone becomes “old” the expectation is that their children will care for them
just as they have cared for their children their whole lives.
I have interviewed both of my grandmothers to better understand how they perceive
aging as Hispanic women. Both women fall on a spectrum of age making their understanding of
age different than the other. My father’s mother, Ana is 96 years old. Ana lives in a housing
facility tailored to the needs of older residents. All of her children decided when she was about
80 years old that she would benefit living in the housing facility as opposed to living on her own.
Although her children alternated who would stay with her in her previous home it was not
practical or safe for her to live practically alone. On the other end, there is my grandmother on
my mother’s side, Lidia who is 62 years old. Lidia has lived in and out of her children’s home
for several years but does not have her own place. Although she is relatively young, she does not
like living alone and finds it lonely. Both women came to the United States from Puerto Rico and
