Familialismo, Elder Caregiving A Burden For Latinos

Because of the Latino value of familialismo, The New York Times says that Latinos — and Latinas in particular — bear a greater burden of caring for their elderly relatives than other groups in the U.S. From the story:

Caregiving obligations are deeply felt in many Hispanic families; even those with few resources traditionally have not hesitated to assume responsibility for aging parents. But these days familialismo is running up against harsh modern realities. According to Jacqueline Angel, professor of sociology and public policy at the University of Texas, many Hispanic families are struggling with language barriers that make navigating the health care system difficult, and with poverty that limits care options and makes retirement planning an elusive, unaffordable dream.

There’s definitely a little exoticism going on in this story, in other words, The NYT is trying to make “other” out of Latinos. The truth of the matter is that lots of people who can’t afford, or prefer not, to institutionalize their elderly relatives try to care for them at home. Then, there’s that whole Latino Paradox, which means we live longer despite being poor.

I know for my elderly relatives, who came here as immigrants to carve out their own lives, the idea of institutionalizing them or treating them like they can’t care for themselves was out of the question. You absolutely do not treat them that way, because it would be like denying an integral part of who they are. It’s definitely hard as people live longer to care for them at home, unless you have professional care, and it’s absolutely expensive, but I know if I were able to care for my parents at home, I would do it without thinking about it.

Do you think this is a particularly Latino thing, or just something people who value family do?