Ageing in a foreign land

This chapter identifies key challenges that older migrants experience as they age in a foreign land, and conceptualises their acculturation journey as a process of home building. Older migrants face a dual challenge: ageing and cross-cultural adjustment. This dual challenge often creates a feeling of being “out of place”. Resolution of this state requires rebuilding identity, belonging, social networks, cultural connections, and attachment to place. Drawing on insights from theories of acculturation and environmental gerontology, this chapter argues that building a sense of home in a foreign land is a core component of migrants’ acculturation journey. Based on evidence from international research, the chapter further elaborates on the applicability of the person-environment model in understanding the acculturation experiences of older migrants as they live and age in a foreign land. This chapter highlights that the concept of home for older migrants does not simply refer to a physical location and a set of relationships; rather, it refers to a site where cultures are traversed, identities enacted, and belonging negotiated.