English Language Proficiency Among Older Hispanics in the United States

Hispanics will constitute a growing part of the older population well into the 21st century. Accompanying this growth, we can expect that challenges associated with a large bilingual and non-English speaking older population may become more pronounced. The purpose of this research was to examine the level and determinants of English proficiency among older Hispanics in the United States. Data from the 1990 Census indicate that a third of the older Hispanic population in the United States speaks English poorly or not at all. This group includes a sizable number who are “linguistically isolated” in that they either live alone or with other nonproficient speakers of English. Using multivariate logistic regression techniques, it is shown that immigrant status and timing, socioeconomic status, geographic concentration, and national origin are key determinants of English proficiency.