Elderly immigrants find life in U.S. a tough go

Families who bring their elderly relatives to the U.S. are responsible for them, but the current financial situation has made this difficult. Some are regretting their move here. DP

With government aid limited and the economy straining the finances of the relatives who sponsored them, many are thinking increasingly wistfully of their homelands.

By Anna Gorman

Several times a day, Shaukat Ali prays in the garden of his daughter's Artesia home -- for his family and his health and now, for the economy.

"There is no alternative but to ask our God," said Ali, 70.

Like many elderly immigrants, Ali dreamed of reuniting with relatives in the United States and working a few years before retiring. But since arriving here legally from Pakistan three years ago, Ali has not been able to find a job and said he has become a heavy bur- den on his daughter and son-in-law.

"They are not in a position to support me," he said. "Dollars are not growing on trees."

Adjusting to life in the U.S. can be difficult for any newcomer, but elderly immigrants have an even tougher time. Unable to find work or receive retirement benefits, many older immigrants depend on family members for financial support. And with the economy collapsing, relatives who sponsored them for green cards and agreed to be financially responsible for them are increasingly having trouble doing so.

"Economic resources are shared at the household level," said Steven Wallace, professor at the UCLA School of Public Health, who has written about older immigrants. "If one or more of the parents loses a job, that squeezes everybody in the family."

Federal law limits access to benefits for elderly legal immigrants, making it difficult for them to get Supplemental Security Income, health coverage or cash assistance. Once they become citizens, obtaining federal benefits becomes much easier. Restrictions on assistance often result in even more pressure on family members in the U.S.
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