The International Conference on Aging in the Americas is now done and I am heading home. There were a lot of really interesting talks. If there is one recurring theme that jumped out at me, it is that the socio-economic status of Latin American immigrants in the United States will be a major factor in the future economic stability of the United States.
First, if you are white and approaching retirement, you need them to fund social security.
Second, if you are white and approaching retirement, you need them to have money to buy your house from you.
Third, if Latinos are to be more engaged in the political system and to be active citizens, they need to be more educated. BTW, they also need to be citizens.
Fourth, if you don't want the healthcare system overburdened, then you need Latinos to be better educated, to have access to preventative medicine, and to be paying taxes.
In short, if we do nothing to address low levels of education and relatively high levels of poverty, then we will suffer any number of unintended but avoidable consequences that affect all of us directly.
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