The American Melting Pot
The North and South American continents have been inhabited from ancient times by migrating humans. The first migrations are believed to have occurred by Asians who crossed the frozen Bering Strait from Siberia. When Columbus first crossed the great Atlantic Ocean he mistakenly labeled these natives ‘Indians’, believing he had arrived in India. Europeans then began migrating in mass to this ‘new world’ dividing up the lands of the aboriginals into nations. The greatest of these nations became the United States, which included peoples who had migrated mostly from Western Europe, slaves that had been brought over from Africa and the original natives. These new American citizens of European descent looked favorably upon immigration believing that it was necessary for a young nation to survive in a harsh world where old Europe still had its eye bent on conquering and controlling the Western Hemisphere. Yet such immigration was only desirable if the immigrants were Protestants that came from ‘civilized’ Europe. Africans, Chinese and even the Catholic Irish were considered undesirables and their immigrations were resented by much of the American electorate. Laws were even passed that would restrict these undesirable immigrations while encouraging immigration from European countries that were considered more capable of integrating into the fabric of American society. From the 1820’s until after World War II the overwhelming majority of immigrants were from Europe with less than ten percent of immigrants coming from non-European countries. Laws that were passed in the 1930’s minimized immigration to less than two million over the next twenty years. In the 1960’s immigration laws were again changed...
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...ey were labeled against the Irish, Italians, and Puerto Ricans. The German immigrants of yesteryear spoke no more English than the Mexican immigrants of today. America is a melting pot because of its abundant opportunities and freedoms. It seems likely that the attack against the new immigrating groups has more to do with their skin color than their potential to be loyal American citizens.
End Notes
1. The Arizona Republic. Dying To Work: the human face of illegal immigration.
Updated
2003. Cited 25, February, 2003.
2. Small, Cathy A. Voyages. London: Cornell University Press. 1997. p. 28
3. Small, Cathy A. Voyages. London: Cornell University Press. 1997. p. 62
4. Chavez, Leo R. Manufacturing Consensus on an Anti-Mexican Immigration
Discourse. 2001. p.216
The term melting-pot has been used since the 1700s. It has always been a metaphor to describe immigrants coming to America. The melting pot is a fusion of cultures and ethnicities into one larger culture. Americans did not like the idea of immigration to their country, viewing their country as beautiful the way it was. Many thought America would be ruined if too many people immigrated and left their cultural mark on the country. The melting-pot concept on immigration seems to highlight historically how America came to be, but for more current immigration, Americans views are more negative. American attitude towards immigrants in the 1900s was not very favorable. Since they feared them, immigrants were often treated horribly by Americans. Robert H. Clancy says, “Vigorous complaint and more or less bitter persecution have been aimed at newcomers to our shores. Also the congressional reports of about 1840 are full of abuse of English, Scotch, Welsh immigrants as paupers, criminals, and so forth.” (Clancy,
Gjerde, Jon. Major Problems in American Immigration and Ethnic History: Documents and Essays. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Print.
Perhaps, the “Melting Pot” myth gained strength during the Industrial Revolution. With millions of immigrants entering the United States, culture was changing within the United States. Americans set a high standard for there society and everyone wanted to be accepted. There was a social requirement to live in a civil society creating together the “American Dream,” which leads to prosperity. Many immigrants moving to the United States brought with them various traditions of their culture and after moving, they repressed such beliefs and forged ahead with a new way of “American Thinking.” The rituals and traditions of such societies should have brought diversity to this nation’s culture however, these ways would soon become a part of the past. The “Melting Pot” myth heavily influences American society and people believe that everyone no matter what skin color or religious belief is created equal. This belief of the American Way of life is idyllic to say the least. Unfortunately, this myth has been thwarted due to a high level of racial supremacy within the nations past and even present. There are two particular events in national history, which will forever hinder equality: slavery of African Americans and Japanese internment camps during World War II in America. These substantial events shape our society and are only the tip of the iceberg when it
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From big, overwhelming institutions setting regulations for a large amount of people to a small
The United States has been historically a country of immigrants. Since the first British settlers landed on the shores of the eastern United States in the 1600’s, there has been a strong and steady influx of immigrants to North America. They were driven by the promise of a new and better life for themselves and for their families. Over the last 400 years there have been successive waves of immigration that have risen and fallen over time. Historically most immigration has come from the European nations with waves coming to the United States by region and specific countries. In the 1800’s there was a mass migration of Irish, German, British, and French Immigrants. The largest group, the Irish, was escaping the Potato Famine that left Ireland in an awful state of poverty and famine. These groups sought a better life from the poor economic and social times of Europe and were lured to the United States by the hope of land, freedom, opportunity, and jobs. Later improvements in technology in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s led to lower transatlantic fares. Many Slavic people, Greeks, Hungarians, Poles and over 4 million European Jews came over during this time in search of a better quality life, better jobs, and more oppor...
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