USA: melting pot or salad bowl?

[Deleted]

Historically the former, moving towards the latter.

[Spiffums]

Well calling it a "melting pot" is racist now. The PC term is mosaic because no one integrates anymore and that's pretty much whats wrong today.

[Wildtree]

Melting pot...

[Jotaux]

my experience it's more a salad bowl. no one claims they are American, its always german, or chinese or hispanic, or somali people here expect others to adapt to them, they don't adapt to others

My dad actually gets really annoyed at being called an indo-canadian. He usually says "How long do I have to live here to be just a canadian?" or "Where the fuck is indo-canada?"

[Nadiru]

Both. Second- or third-generation Americans melt fairly seamlessly into American culture, but a steady influx of first-generation immigrants ensures that ethnic neighborhoods remain (though the ethnicity they represent changes, obviously.) A major theme of immigration to America is that they're looking to escape a bad situation at home, whether it's the Irish fleeing a famine in the 1840s, the Italians fleeing war in the 1870s, or Africans fleeing persecution in the 1990s.

[Zarc]

If I have to pick one I'd definitely choose melting pot.

But in reality of course it is both, with China Town and all that more salad than a melting pot. But then again there are many Chinese people who stopped being a tomato and started melting in the pot too. But just reading about famous people on Wikipedia shows how true the melting pot thing is, though. Some examples:

- Obama, son of an African of Muslim heritage and a mother with mostly English and some Irish ancestry now married into an African American family descendant from American slaves. Melting pot.

- George W Bush has "English and some German ancestry, along with more distant Dutch, Welsh, Irish, French, and Scottish roots".

Remember how pissed and crazy people were over the mass immigration of Irish people? Oh right, you were all not close to being alive back then. Melting pot. OK let's look at something other than a President, how about..

- The Rock. Son of a Black Canadian and a Samoan mother who has one child with a Hispanic woman.

- Keanu Reeves. Son of an English woman and a father of Native Hawaiian, Chinese, English and Portuguese ancestry.

So definitely melting pot.

[Vyxn]

melting pot but at a very low heat

[Deleted]

america is like Andromeda... I hear a lot of it but nothing really reaches my basement. I hear they have a bomb that will annihilate millions of people at once... So I have to beg for some random gods for help.

[Drekker17]

Melting pot. Most people bring some of their culture, but it melts into traditional American stuff.

[Annoying]

melting pot but at a very low heat

That... that's pretty accurate imo.

[Dwarfhamster]

At one time, a melting pot. Now, a salad bowl. Each new group or culture adds something to this crazy jumbled cuisine called the US. We celebrate the differences among us, but also the fusion of cultures and flavors that add to the US.

[SirRobin]

I've found myself thinking that living in the United States is like living in a bowl of granola. What ain't fruits or nuts, is flakes.

[Independent voter]

1st generation immigrants are salad bowl types, they make an effort to assimilate but it's really hard for adults to change. But their kids are like 99% American, they like American things and sound American so 2cd generation + are melting pot types.

[Theinquisition]

I'd say it depends on where you are, and who is in the majority. Overall, I'd say melting pot. We don't seem to have the same problems as Europe in the regard, I assume because we never really had a homogenous population.

[Symphonic]

I think of the United States like a chocolate fondue. Imagine the US as the chocolate, and everyone is a different fruit or treat that you dip in it, becoming enveloped by the US, but still recognize your culture.

Americans, we are clearly marshmallows dipped in the chocolate fondue.
Other countries might be apples, or bananas, or strawberries... anything really.


The point is, we are a melting chocolate fondue pot.

[Luxxor]

Which one of these two well-known metaphors best reflects Americal society and culture? A melting pot or a salad bowl? How much cultural assimilaiton is there?

What country in the world is more culturally assimilated than the US?

[Emageht Tsoluoy]

USA is a melted gooey tossed salad

[Mistame]

USA is a melted gooey tossed salad

Please wash your hands before posting.

[Eskendereya]

Not much assimilation. USA seems very divided right now, especially by race, among other things.

Multiculturalism is a disease and a failure.

[PC2]

Not much assimilation. USA seems very divided right now, especially by race, among other things.

Multiculturalism is a disease and a failure.

Well, at most there are only 2 major cultures and languages on North America. Compared to the myriad of cultures and languages on Europe, Africa, Asia. Also there is less white guilt in the US, so I would say it is more secure in its own Western and English speaking roots, where as Europeans are more timid of affirming their own culture.