Apparently, while the economy showed signs of improvement, the good news is not immediately enjoyed by everyone. And for elderly immigrants in the United States, this means forgoing their supposed retirement and seek work to augment family income. But finding job is hard and the struggle to stretch the value of dollar remains a practical move.
With the Dow Jones breaking the psychological 10,000 point level and marked improvements in earnings of big companies such as Intel, Google and Goldman Sachs, the American economy has seen the bottom of this devastating economic meltdown. However, it will still take some time before the benefits of these big guns will be felt by all.
In a Southern California community, elderly Filipino men were interviewed by American Public Media’s Marketplace correspondent Jeff Tyler.
Jeff Tyler: These elderly Filipino-Americans get together once a week to socialize. At a senior center in Los Angeles, they talk about having to make do with less. California’s statewide budget cuts have reduced their supplemental income benefits. But at least they collect something.
Gerry Geronimo is 69 years old, but he doesn’t get Social Security.
Gerry Geronimo: No. Not yet. I’m not yet citizen. Three more years.
He is a legal immigrant. Geronimo and his wife waited a long time for green cards.
Geronimo: Twenty-three long years we waited for the petition.
More details from Marketplace.
Photo credit: shaire productions
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