In 1972, Raul Soto immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, expecting to work for only a few years before returning to his home country.
Forty years later, the 69-year-old former fruit picker is growing old in America.
"I still think about going back to Mexico, but I have never returned," said Soto, now a U.S. citizen. "I never thought I would stay in this country, but I did."
In Washington state, the number of older Hispanic or Latino people now tops 20,000 — twice the number in 2000, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The large numbers are driven in part by migrant workers who came to the U.S. in the 1960s and 70s. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 made American citizenship a possibility for those who entered the U.S. before 1982, encouraging many — like Soto — to stay.
"My dad's generation — they came here to work for a few years then go back," said the Rev. Felipe Puleto, a Catholic priest at Saint Joseph's Parish in Yakima. "But once they were here, and the kids were growing up and learning the language and culture, Mexico seemed to get farther and farther away."
That older population now presents a unique challenge for medical, social and housing organizations. READ MORE
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