One my mother's biggest fears as she grew older was that she would spend her later years in a senior nursing home. She was afraid that she and my father did too good a job of Americanizing her kids and like most other Americans, shuttle the elders off to senior housing.
It took a heart operation to convince my mother to leave the comfort of home and live with my family. For months, she lived with us. She never fully recovered so her last days with us was a time of spoiling her grandchildren, sharing the community gossip secrets of everyone in the tight-knit Filipino American community, watching TV with my daughters, enjoying the banter and eating around the dining table. Sometimes, she even complimented my cooking.
My mom's death was followed by the death of my mother-in-law It was my father-in-law's turn to stay with us. We rented a hospital bed, gave him his own room. A former cook in the US Navy, he never complained about my culinary skills.
Like many Filipino American families, there was never a question from my wife and children that our elderly parents would live with us -- if they wanted. Respect and honor for our elders was a vallue deeply ingrained in us, even if it was never plainly spoken. It was a given.
My mom's death was followed by the death of my mother-in-law It was my father-in-law's turn to stay with us. We rented a hospital bed, gave him his own room. A former cook in the US Navy, he never complained about my culinary skills.
Like many Filipino American families, there was never a question from my wife and children that our elderly parents would live with us -- if they wanted. Respect and honor for our elders was a vallue deeply ingrained in us, even if it was never plainly spoken. It was a given.
About a quarter of Asian (24%), Black (26%) and Hispanic (26%) Americans lived in multigenerational households in 2021, compared with 13% of those who are White.
The concept of multigenerational households has deep roots in culture and history, especially among Native Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Islander communities where family and elders are highly valued. Economic factors can also play a large role in a family’s decision to live together.
Immigrant status also is linked to the likelihood of multigenerational living. A higher share of foreign-born Americans (26%) than U.S.-born Americans (17%) live in a multigenerational family home. The greater propensity of immigrants to live in multigenerational households is true even after factoring in the racial and ethnic makeup of foreign-born Americans, who are less likely than the U.S. born to be non-Hispanic White.
Immigrants from Asia, particularly from the Philippines, India and China, make up the fastest growing segment of the nation's population, according to the US Census.
After declining in earlier decades, multigenerational living has grown steadily in the U.S. since the 1970s. From 1971 to 2021, the number of people living in multigenerational households quadrupled, while the number in other types of living situations is less than double what it was. The share of the U.S. population in multigenerational homes has more than doubled, from 7% in 1971 to 18% in 2021.
Multigenerational living is growing in part because immigrant groups that account for most recent overall population growth in the US, including Asian, Black and Hispanic Americans first-generation immigrants, are more likely to live with multiple generations under one roof.
After declining in earlier decades, multigenerational living has grown steadily in the U.S. since the 1970s. From 1971 to 2021, the number of people living in multigenerational households quadrupled, while the number in other types of living situations is less than double what it was. The share of the U.S. population in multigenerational homes has more than doubled, from 7% in 1971 to 18% in 2021.
Multigenerational living is growing in part because immigrant groups that account for most recent overall population growth in the US, including Asian, Black and Hispanic Americans first-generation immigrants, are more likely to live with multiple generations under one roof.
The concept of multigenerational homes has deep roots in culture and history, especially among Native Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Islander communities where ‘ohana is highly valued. Economic factors can also play a large role in a family’s decision to live together.
While the rise in the multigenerational family household population can be linked to the changing makeup of the overall US population, multigenerational living is also rising among non-Hispanic White Americans, who accounted for a higher share of the multigenerational household population growth from 2000 to 2021 (28%) than of total population growth (9%).
While the rise in the multigenerational family household population can be linked to the changing makeup of the overall US population, multigenerational living is also rising among non-Hispanic White Americans, who accounted for a higher share of the multigenerational household population growth from 2000 to 2021 (28%) than of total population growth (9%).
There are several reasons why the multigenerational household is a growing trend, chiefly centering on financial support for the older and the younger adults living together.
Some drawbacks, such as less privacy, can be stressful for some but most people believe the benefits for all the generations living under the same roof outweigh the negatives.
I know my kids loved to hear family stories as their grandparents acted as living historians and they loved making her laugh. For my mom, living with my family was a great relief not having to worry if we would take care of her. She was so relaxed while living with us knowing that she would not have to be alone.
Being Filipino, complimenting my wife's and my efforts at cooking was her indirect way of thanking us for allowing her to live with us. We assured her we wouldn't have it any other way.
While she may have worried that I was too "Americanized," thankfully, she was still able to pass on her Filipino values.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter or at his blog Views From the Edge.
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