Baby Boomers of Color: Implications for Social Work Policy and Practice (Paperback)
Because researchers often treat baby boomers of color as belonging to one group, quality data on the individual status of specific racial populations is lacking, leading to insufficiently designed programs, policies, and services. The absence of data is a testament to the invisibility of baby boomers of color in society and deeply affects the practice of social work and other helping professions that require culturally sensitive approaches. Melvin Delgado rectifies this injustice by providing a comprehensive portrait of the status and unique assets of boomers of color. Using specific data, he grounds an understanding of boomers'financial, medical, and emotional needs within a historical, socioeconomic, cultural, and political context, resulting in tailored recommendations for meeting the challenges of a growing population. His research focuses on African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American older adults and addresses issues of financial security, employment stability, housing, and health care, which are often complicated by linguistic and cultural differences. Rather than treat baby boomers of color as a financial burden on society and its resources, Delgado recognizes their strengths and positive contributions to families and communities, resulting in an affirming and empowering approach to service.
Melvin Delgado is codirector of the Center for Addictions Research and Services, chair of macro-practice, and professor of social work at the Boston University School of Social Work. He brings almost forty years of practice, research, and scholarship focused on Puerto Rican and other Latino groups in the United States. Bilingual and bicultural, he has focused his professional and academic career on developing urban-based outreach and service delivery models that are culturally competent, stressing participatory democratic principles, and tapping cultural strengths and assets. He is the author of more than twenty books, including Latino Small Businesses and the American Dream Community Social Work Practice and Economic and Social Development and Social Work Practice with Latinos: A Cultural Assets Paradigm and Social Work Practice with Immigrant and Refugee Youth in the United States.