ABSTRACT
Background The Chinese population over 65 years of age currently represents about 10% of all Chinese Americans. According to 2000 U.S. Census figures, Chinese Americans, numbering more than 2.4 million, were found to be the largest subgroup of Asian Pacific Islander Americans, comprising approximately 24% of this group (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2002). Between 1990 and 2000, the Chinese American population increased by approximately one million due to Mainland China’s open door policy, and many students and professionals chose to stay in the United States. Another group of immigrants, who came from Hong Kong, worried about the 1997 transfer of British sovereignty to China. The recent political climate in Taiwan (independence vs. reunification with Mainland China) and the desire to seek higher education for their children also created an impetus for many Chinese to come to this country. Another recent phenomenon is the so-called astronaut families. An astronaut family is an arrangement whereby some of the migrant family members return to their countries of origin to work, while the remaining family members, usually the women and children, continue to reside in the host country (Ho, Bedford, & Goodwin, 1997).
