inority research is difficult to compare because of an absence of standardized research instruments. Juarez (1987) has noted the difficulties of translating questionnaires back and forth from English to Spanish. Gelfand (1987) has commented on the problem of overcoming cultural prohibitions, which prevent middle-generation Vietnamese from commenting on the behavior and beliefs of their parents. Gilad (1987) has commented on the problems of preparing questionnaires for the Salvadoran community in Washington, D.C., where recent immigrants often have low literacy skills. These examples demonstrate that research on the ethnic aged presents unique and difficult problems.
Soniat (1987) has claimed that ethnic studies of the aged often "aggregate" data. Researchers are often insensitive to cultural heterogeneity within ethnic groups. White-Means and Thornton (1990a), however, explored ethnic differences in informal home health care of the elderly and found that diversity accounted for some differences. They said ethnicity is a "multidimensional characterist
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