We are one of the fastest-aging immigrant communities in the U.S. In the Bay Area Indian American diaspora of over 350,000, 13% are above 65, yet their voices are seldom heard in conversations about aging.
On September 15, India Currents sat down with a group of them at India Community Center in Milpitas to ask what growing older here really looks like.
They came from Milpitas, Fremont, San Jose, and from around the Bay. Some have lived here for decades, some came to be closer to their families, some have raised children and grandchildren in two countries and most have adjusted to new homes, new languages, and new rules more than once.
Ask someone what’s gotten harder with age and you’ll hear practical answers. Back in India, there was help at home. Multitasking takes more effort, memory slows down, and technology keeps changing. Medical appointments feel rushed and don’t have apnapan. They also want help that’s more than just a website link.
Underneath all that, there’s something softer. Children have their own lives. When families live in different cities, the physical distance often becomes emotional distance too.
When the formal session wrapped up, many seniors stayed. One by one, they approached the India Currents team with questions they hadn’t asked in front of the group: how to navigate legal issues, being a caregiver themself, how to find reliable helpers for around the house and more…