Researchers have identified immigration and marginalization as two processes that impact older immigrants' experience of aging in the U.S. Our paper draws on 42 interviews with a diverse group of older American immigrants to center issues of language, accent, and Othering. We argue that the importance of language extends beyond communication for older immigrants, as English proficiency and accent are important boundaries determining inclusion and recognition as an American. Accents are a racialized characteristic that can prompt microaggressions and exclusion. We identified a racial pattern in reported reactions to accents among the participants in our study. White immigrants generally described positive appraisals of their accent, and typically had a choice whether to emphasize their national origins. While white immigrants were viewed as “Acceptable Outsiders,” many immigrants of color described microaggressions, ridicule, and discrimination related to their accented speech. We contend that these experiences of Othering can have a profound impact on sense of belonging, as many of the older immigrants of color in our study expressed a persistent sense of exclusion and even alienation. We advance the concept of “aging off center” to describe how repeated experiences of Othering and exclusion shape aging experiences for immigrants of color who are long-term residents of the United States.

研究人员已将移民和边缘化确定为影响老年移民在美国的老龄化经历的两个过程。我们的论文基于对美国不同年龄移民群体的 42 次访谈，重点关注语言、口音和其他问题。我们认为，语言的重要性超出了老年移民的沟通范围，因为英语熟练程度和口音是决定作为美国人的包容和认可的重要界限。口音是一种种族化特征，可能会引发微侵犯和排斥。我们在研究参与者对口音的反应中发现了一种种族模式。白人移民普遍对自己的口音给予积极评价，并且通常可以选择是否强调自己的民族血统。虽然白人移民被视为“可以接受的局外人”，但许多有色人种移民描述了与他们的口音言论相关的微侵犯、嘲笑和歧视。我们认为，这些异类经历会对归属感产生深远的影响，因为我们研究中的许多老年有色人种移民都表达了持续的排斥甚至疏远感。我们提出“偏离中心的老龄化”概念，以描述重复的“他者”和排斥经历如何影响美国长期居民的有色人种移民的老龄化经历。