ABSTRACT
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are one of the fastest-growing older populations in the US According to the US Census Bureau, Chinese older adults, with a population of 366,761, are the largest Asian American ethnic group, making up 26% of the AAPI older population, followed by Filipino and Japanese. The US Census Bureau groups Pacific Islanders together with Asian Americans, which has resulted in a designation of AAPIs. As of the 2000 Census, Pacific Islanders, who are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from one of the Pacific Islands to the United States, including Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Guam, and the islands of Micronesia, were officially separated from Asian Americans. AAPIs have roots in at least 29 Asian countries and 20 Pacific Islander cultures, and members of Pacific Islanders group speak over 100 languages and belong to numerous religions. In general, rural areas are less racially and ethnically diverse than urban areas in the U.S.
