Macro practice is a professionally guided intervention designed to bring about planned change in organizations and communities. Macro activities are identified on basis of needs, problems, issues and concerns as identified in the course of working one-on-one with clients. Working with the elderly in Los Angeles, I have learned the responsibilities of screening potential clients, assessing client needs, developing case plans and monitoring and evaluating services provided. I work in an urban neighborhood with a large Asian American population; therefore, many of the potential clients I connect with are Asian Americans. In the United States, especially in the West, Northwest, and New York, Asian and Pacific Islanders comprise the fastest growing ethnic group. In Los Angeles County alone, the Chinese American population is nearly 400,000.
Since 1970, an increasing number of Southeast Asian immigrant Chinese have arrived as refugees. In addition, there are many recent arrivals from Hong Kong, Taiwan and all parts of China. Many of these immigrants have low to moderate incomes and many are elderly. Immigrants often regard Chinatown as their entry community because they can speak the language and they know the culture. The most affluent immigrants have settled and conduct their business within the suburban centers of the San Gabriel Valley and the cities of Palos Verdes, Cerritos and Orange County.
There has been a rapid growth of satellite or suburban Chinese American communities, notably in the San Gabriel Valley in cities such as Monterey Park and Alhambra. Most still regard New Chinatown as the social, spiritual, and cultural base of their heritage.
The growth of the elderly population among this group has equally been dramatic. According to the 1990 census, in a span of ten years, the Asian American elderly population increased by 127 percent just within the city of New York. Fact: Japanese-and Chinese American eld...