Racial and Ethnic Similarities and Differences in Beliefs About Intergenerational Assistance to Older Adults After Divorce and Remarriage*

• Date: 01 December 2006
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2006.00427.x
• Author: Tanja C. Rothrauff,Lawrence H. Ganong,Marilyn Coleman
• Published date: 01 December 2006

Racial and Ethnic Similarities and Differences in

Beliefs About Intergenerational Assistance to

Older Adults After Divorce and Remarriage*

Marilyn Coleman Lawrence H. Ganong Tanja C. Rothrauff**

Abstract: We examined beliefs about intergenerational responsibilities to assist older kin with a national sample of

362 Latinos, 492 African Americans, 121 Asian Americans, and 2,122 White European Americans using multiple-

segment factorial vignettes. More similarities than differences existed between ethnic groups, but Asian Americans

and African Americans endorsed norms that younger adults should assist older kin more often than White European

Americans. Latinos did not differ from European Americans in beliefs about intergenerational assistance. All groups

believed that parents should be helped more than stepparents.

Key Words: African Americans, Asian Americans, family gerontology, intergenerational family obligations, Latinos.

Studies of normative beliefs about intergenerational

assistance rely primarily on samples comprised of

White Americans of European descent (Ganong &

Coleman, 1999); African Americans, Asian Ameri-

cans, Latinos, and other racial and ethnic groups

tend to be underrepresented or not included at all.

This is a significant limitation, particularly in light

of demographic changes in the United States.

Although White European Americans comprise

about 72% of the U.S. population, this proportion

is expected to decrease to 53% in the next 50 years

(Spencer & Hollmann, 1998). The number of Afri-

can Americans will double in that same time period,

whereas the number of people of Latino and Asian

descent will double in 20 years. Asian Americans,

now 4.2% of the U.S. population, will be 10% by

2060 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000).

Results from the few studies that have examined

race, ethnicity, and intergenerational responsibilities

suggest that Latinos and Asian Americans endorse

norms of intergenerational assistance more often

than White European Americans (Burr & Mutchler,

1999; Fuligni, Tseng, & Lam, 1999; Phillips, de

Ardon, Komnenich, Killeen, & Rusinak, 2000).

These differences are usually attributed to variations

in cultural beliefs regarding individualism and col-

lectivism—ethnic groups from collectivistic back-

grounds are expected to hold more favorable views

about intergenerational aid and be more likely to

provide intergenerational assistance than groups

from individualistic backgrounds.

For instance, White European Americans are

believed to hold individualistic values that empha-

size personal responsibility, independence, and the

notion that older adults are expected to take care of

themselves for as long as they possibly can (Pyke &

Bengtson, 1996; Triandis, 2001). In contrast, Asian

cultures teach filial piety as a value, which includes

the belief that children must support and assist par-

ents (e.g., Hsu & Shyu, 2003; Kim & Ahn, 2001).

Latin American cultures traditionally have held

strong familistic values that include loyalty and

responsibilities to help kin (Aranda & Knight, 1997).

The concept of ‘‘la familia’’ (i.e., the family) means

that the needs of la familia are placed above individ-

ual wants and personal interests (Santiago-Rivera,

*This study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Aging (AG17967).

**Marilyn Coleman is a Curators’ Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211(colemanma@missouri.edu).

Lawrence H. Ganongis Professor of Human Development at the School of Nursing at Universityof Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 (ganongl@missouri.edu). Tanja C.

Rothrauff is a Graduate Research Assistant in Human Development and Family Studies at University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 (tcrp6d@mizzou.edu).

Family Relations, 55 (December 2006), 576–587. Blackwell Publishing.

Copyright 2006 by the National Council on Family Relations.