Is America a Melting Pot?

[sunuvaB]

This is a popular metaphor for describing America, but I think a more accurate one is a salad with a strong dressing. Everything takes on the flavor of the dressing. Some parts are virtually indistinguishable such as several kinds of lettuce, whereas other parts very easy to single out. I don't like radishes, so I remove them and I like cherry tomatoes so I eat them separately.

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[Xaevian]

Think of a metaphor like a jacket that is too big. Yes, you can still wear it, and yes it can keep you warm, but no matter what, it will never really fit right...

 

[L84Cabo]

It used to be...people from different countries, cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities, etc., melting in a large pot and adopting the American culture and ideals.

The problem is that so many of the people who are coming here now...the staggering number of ILLEGAL immigrants...are not melting. They have no interest in adopting American culture and values.

 

[Hop Sing]

It's a stew, not a melting pot.

 

[TTSX]

I mean sure, as long as you're willing to take on "their" customs in your daily life and don't expect them to take on yours.

 

[sunuvaB]

It's a stew, not a melting pot.

I think that's a good analogy, Certainly better than mine

 

[Andy54Hawken]

If a pot melts...is it still good for anything..?
just kidding here....

I prefer HopSing's "stew" ...sure wish it came together more often however.
Andy

 

[revjen45]

I suggest a living mosaic, with the individual tiles being the people and the whole picture in constant motion.

 

[SrMachoSolo]

I think the intent has been a "melting pot", but poor decisions, or lack thereof, have left those pots in some cities to melt... into a literal dumpster fire.

-Robert

 

[Xaevian]

America just provides the pot. Whether people decide to melt in it or not is part of the freedom it offers.

 

[Provincial]

During the Carter Administration, the old Catholic Abbey at Mt. Angel was closed. The Feds bankrolled using the facility to house "Collegio Caesar Chavez" for the benefit of Hispanic advanced learning. At the dedication, a lady from DC made a speech in which she said that (in my recollection, so I won't use quotations) 'America is no longer a melting pot, it is fruit salad.'

While I agreed at the time that the melting pot image was outdated, she was wrong about "fruit salad." What she really meant was that America was turning into "mixed fruit" with the liberals trying to keep everyone identifying with their ethnic or religious, or political brethren. That is the way to dissention, and eventual dissolution. It is "Balkanization," which is destructive, and is the intent of the Progressive movement.

To have "fruit salad," you need a sauce. That sauce, as sunuvaB pointed out above, is what binds the salad together, and gives it the overall flavor, enhancing the various fruits.

In a society, that sauce, that binder, is a common language and uniform law. By common language, I mean one language used for official business, regulatory signage, product labels, warnings, and such. By "law" I mean uniform written laws that treat everyone fairly and equally, and that are enforced fairly and equally.

Unfortunately, Balkanization seems to be the future.

 

[Xaevian]

Well, if we MUST keep using metaphors...mixed nuts would be a better one. And there is no sauce. That is your imagination. It is oil from squeezing those nuts. Maybe someone squeezes just the one on the left to make the right one jealous. So fellas...

 

[Ruger Rich]

Years ago, many years ago, America had room for folks seeking a better life and we had the resources
to accommodate them. We've run out of room and the resources are drying up. And yes, I believe that
the "Heinz 57" mixture may have been beneficial to our country. No longer so. Furthermore, I certainly
don't believe in isolationism, but being responsible for all the world's sad stories is no longer practical
for us.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Depends on the context. Welcoming is a core tenent to this republic, but that welcome is only extended to those who choose to come here legally!

 

[Ruger Rich]

Agree on the "core tenent" thought and the pride that goes with it. My analogy is at one time there was more space
in the bottle to add more water. It is near full now and best I think to develop strategies to keep it from spilling over.
My great grand parents on both sides came to our country as immigrants and I'm thankful. And I certainly agree on
coming here legally.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Yup, my whole family came here legally back in the early 1800's, and we are all dang glad to be here! Even my wife became a U.S. Citizen, going through the entire process from start to finish, and she knows more of our history them most Americans do! She is proud ( rightly so) to have gone through everything to legally come here and jump through all the hoops it required!

 

[SrMachoSolo]

I have talked to both types of people who immigrate here, legally and illegally. I notice the ones who take the time to legally come here are often proud of their own heritage, but also willing to assimilate and be productive members of society. While the latter actively chooses not to learn the most widely spoken language, nor do they wish to be productive and give back to the society they are joining... instead, they are users looking to take advantage of the prosperity others have worked hard to build, and are unwilling to adapt and assimilate. Essentially they are disruptive.

I believe the victim mindset is at the core of their behavior and decision making. Until we address that, things will only spiral even further out of control.

-Robert

 

[clearconscience]

More like a boiling pot.


Or pressure cooker

 

[sunuvaB]

While the latter actively chooses not to learn the most widely spoken language, nor do they wish to be productive and give back to the society they are joining

The difference I've noticed: the latter are frequently fleeing horrible violence, often the product of our drug wars and support for death squads…the kind of people who murder priests and rape nuns. They flee out of desperation, not convenience. And, in my experience they are the hardest working, most agreeable, most grateful people I've ever encountered. This even though because of there vulnerability, they are often ripped off by employers who hire them, then refuse to pay. What can they do, call a cop? Sue? Sorry you've only met people who have skewed your view so negatively.

 

[CountryGent]

Agreed with @Hop Sing that "stew" might be a better way to put it. Maybe I am eternal optimist, but even with the amazing accomplishments our country has achieved, which is the most beautiful experiment in liberty in human history, the best is still yet to come.