Minority elders, including African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian Americans, carry special burdens on their physical and mental health into their later years. The numbers of minority elders in care will increase rapidly in the new century: experts writing from a range of disciplines promote the need for awareness of the unique ethical, physical and cultural issues in each ethnic group. The authors propose directions for research and policy development that will ensure a continuum of appropriate care for aging minority populations.