From Melting Pot To The Tossed Salad Metaphor Analysis

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In the excerpt from “From the Melting Pot to the Tossed Salad Metaphor: Why Coercive Assimilation Lacks the Flavors Americans Crave” Gloor evaluates several metaphors used to describe the diversity of America, beginning with the most common ideas of the United States being considered either melting pot or a salad bowl. After analyzing both metaphors, it becomes evident that while these ideas sound great, in reality, they are not only a flawed depiction of what America is like but altogether undesirable considering the implications of a “melting pot” or “tossed salad” society. In the text, Gloor brings up a third and new metaphor that symbolizes America as an ethnic stew, but in reality, the stew theory is more accurately wishful thinking than it is an actualized reality. Gloor’s writing piece not only exposes the flaws of the melting pot and tossed salad metaphors, but exemplifies the complexity of our society due to the several moderate inaccuracies of the ethnic stew theory. …show more content…

“ In the case of the melting pot the aim is that all cultures become reflected in one common culture, however, this is generally the culture of the dominant group. - I thought this was mixed vegetable soup but I can only taste the tomato.” The greatest fault in the melting pot is that in reality, America is far too complex to meet the constraints of being socially dominated by one group due to the vast amount of cultures, religions, and ideologies that are very prominent and prevent any one culture to overshadow all of the others. We move further away from being a melting pot every day due to the freedom of expression and noncensorship becoming societal norms. However, if viewing America as a melting pot would be considered far right, then it would be far left to consider America as a salad

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