Un-Priveleged Aging Americans

The fact that people of all ages can be considered privileged on some dimensions and disadvantaged in others is a testament to the unique journey into old age that each of us will experience if we are lucky enough to live that long. It can help us understand the experiences of old men by coming to terms with the realization that we all will one day get old, at least if we live long enough. The experience of aging is different for different people regardless of their gender, race, or social class. And those particular hierarchies further differentiate the experiences of how people age. So it is clear from this information that the only similarity in how we age is that we do. For men in particular aging has its stereotypes; however, I don't believe men in general experience these quite as much as do women. For women aging is a loss of beauty, virility, and sensuality. While men do experience this stereotype it happens much later in life that it does for women, especially now with the invention and popularity of substances such as testosterone patches and Viagra. These substances have further increased the time gap at which men and women experience these stereotypes.

Pardee Lowe's story told of some of the particular challenges experienced by Asian-Americans in the early 1900's. The United States was certainly open to immigration, and even actively encouraged people from other countries to come and live here. However, it was very difficult for Asian-Americans to find jobs and to build a life for themselves. Lowe’s struggle was unique to him; however,a similar one was experienced by people of many different ethnicities. Lowe's story even goes so far as to point out the paradox that the United States was a country of opportunity, and that is what attracted people of other countries to move their families here. An opportunity to live in the land of the free and be anything that you dreamed that you could be was the call to action. But the struggle for freedom and opportunity for people from other countries was far from over.

The point, in my opinion, of all of these stories is that everyone's struggle is different. Everyone's journey throughout life is an individual one. Just as stereotyping people for their race, religion, or sexual orientation is wrong, so too is doing so because of their age. However, ignoring the problem is not going to make it go away. It is important that these stories were told in order for us to understand the unique struggle that each of these people went through.

Read more from this author at