Despite Poverty Today, Latinos May Define Rules in Aging America

Dec. 28, 2012 / By

latinos_500x279

 

HuffPost Voces/New America Media, News Analysis, Yolanda Gonzalez Gomez, Posted:Dec 26, 2012

Photo: Paula and Manuel Cisneros (Yolanda Gonzalez Gomez/HuffPost Voces)

DALLAS, Texas–For Paula and Manuel Cisneros, every day is a challenge of survival. At 73, he cuts and bag cactus to sell on the street to pay for basic expenses and she is looking for a job. A peaceful retirement for them just looks like a very distant dream.

“Aging is very easy, but to do it with dignity and wellness is not that easy,” said Manuel, who came from Mexico as an undocumented immigrant in 1972, worked as a construction worker and after a dozen years became a United States citizen.

The Mexican immigrant couple is barely makes ends meet with a $900 monthly Social Security check. They also receive assistance from the Dallas public housing authority that pays half of their apartment rent.

Read more at New America Media

Tags: ,

New America Media

New America Media is the country's first and largest national collaboration and advocate of 3,000 ethnic news organizations. Over 57 million ethnic adults connect to each other, to home countries and to America through 3000+ ethnic media outlets, the fastest growing sector of American journalism. Founded by the nonprofit Pacific News Service in 1996, NAM is headquartered in California with offices in New York and Washington D.C., and partnerships with journalism schools to grow local associations of ethnic media.