The Impact on America of Turkish, Greek and Italian Immigrants and Their Respective Cultures

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The Impact on America of Turkish, Greek and Italian Immigrants and Their Respective Cultures

My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Godfather, The Italian Job, Roberto Benigni, Mario Andretti, Frank Capra, spaghetti, gelato, Turkish baths.? What do all of these have in common?? All of them are well known parts of American culture, yet they have all been influenced and inspired by Italian, Greek, and Turkish immigrants and their respective cultures.? Because America is a melting pot of cultures, it is understandable that each participating culture brings its own unique flavor to the mix.? Three of the most evident portions of American society, entertainment, food, and religion are also probably the three portions most affected by the infusion of new immigrants and culture.? This influence is especially evident when the immigrants concerned hail from the countries of Turkey, Italy, and Greece.? Their impact is wide reaching and long-lasting.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding was the fifth highest grossing movie in the US in 2002, and is the highest grossing independent movie ever.? The only movies that brought in more money were all special effects intensive such as Spider-Man, The Lord of The Rings:? The Two Towers, and Star Wars:? Episode Two.? My Big Fat Greek Wedding instead focused on the simple story of a Greek woman falling in love with a non-Greek man and the way in which they attempt to blend their very different backgrounds.? Nia Vardalos, the writer and star of the movie, is the descendent of Greek immigrants and clearly applied her own cultural background and experience to the movie. Audiences learned how most Greek children in America attend Greek school, Greek families are very close, and that there is an expectation f...

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... immigrants as well as subsequent generations.? The traditions of various cultures, especially Italian, Greek, and Turkish cultures are evident in the history of the American movie.? Our diet is also largely comprised of ethnic foods, particularly Italian.? The various places of worship available to parishioners also exemplify the impact of immigrants.? Without the countless interactions between varying cultures, America would not be the multi-faceted country that it is.? America truly is a melting pot of countries, and as each of these countries continue to contribute aspects of their culture, the diversity and uniqueness of America will continue to increase.

Works Cited:

http://www.immigrationforum.org/pubs/articles/immigrantsinnews2001.htm

http://www.imdb.com

http://www.turkish-delight.com/

Buscaglia, Leo. Papa, My Father. New Jersey: SLACK, 1989.

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