Is America really THE melting pot of the world?

With the vast array of religions, cultures, and races of people residing in one country, I still believe we are a melting pot. However, I’m willing to concede that I’m not an expert on other countries. Can someone provide examples of other countries with similar diversity? What is their rate of immigration compared to America?

If someone has immigrated to another country, I’d love to hear why they chose that country.

Over the long term I think it is. A lot of second and third generation immigrants marry into other cultures. In the short term, it tends to be more of a salad bowl. They keep their cultural identities but they all add to the dish.

@Adirondackwannabe‘s Salad Bowl analogy works better for me than melting pot. The Melting Pot has never really been true, more of a sociologist’s pipe dream.

But the US is really the most diverse, more so than just about anywhere. Europe has become much more diverse in the last few years than it used to be, but does not approach the US diversity.

@zenvelo Good point. Europe has had a major influx of immigrants. Although there are other areas, like the Balkans that are working hard to be less than diverse. Same goes with Africa.

@Adirondackwannabe That’s what I was wondering…if they keep their cultural identities and have their own districts, it’s not really a melting pot, is it? Don’t know what it’s like in the States, but Canada is a bit of both. A melting pot and a salad bowl.

@Symbeline It seems to take some cultures a long time here to go from immigration to melting pot, at least several generations. I’m not sure what drives one or the other though. I didn’t study enough sociology I guess.

The melting takes place over generations. First generation immigrants probably stick more together than the future generations do. I mean, my grand daughter is a mix of Caucasian, Native American and Indonesian. She looks like a Native American with blue eyes. Very striking.

@Adirondackwannabe I sure as hell couldn’t tell you, either. But when my family came to Canada, we just acted like everyone else. Then again it’s not like France’s culture is that much different from America, at least not different enough that we couldn’t easily adapt.

@Symbeline I wonder if our education systems drives it some. All kids in the district have to go to the same school and get fed the same info. Except for private schools.

It certainly has to play a role, that’s for sure. If, like @Dutchess_III says that it takes a few generations before assimilation is achieved, (not the right word, or…) then public schools surely have a hand at this.

Absolutely schools will have a hand, plus changing social mores. When we think of segregation we think of separating black and white, but that mentality had to have also covered all other non-white races. It may not have been a law for races other than black, but the mentality was there. It’s slowly, slowly disappearing, thank goodness.

http://andyvalentine.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/the-truth-behind-americas-obesity-problem/
No, it’s more the whale of the world…“thar she blows!”

Yes and no. The coasts, especially New York, legitimately have a lot of melting pot action going on. The border states do too. New York is probably the most diverse city in the world by ethnic composition. But most of the Americas have or at least had a lot of immigration. Toronto is another huge immigrant city. Canada, Argentina, and Brazil have all seen their fair share of diverse waves of immigration.

One thing that may be lost on Anglo-Americans is the diversity of “Latin America.” It’s predominantly Spanish speaking, but also includes Portuguese and French. The indigenous tribes left a stronger legacy in many of those countries than they did in the USA, and there are many differences both within and between them – with strong African influences too.

Scum rises to the top while the bottom gets burned… yeah, we still are.

I am not the most gregarious guy.

But I personally have known people who live in the US who were born in…
Korea
Russia
Ethiopia
Ukraine
Poland
Ireland
China
Taiwan
Japan
Thailand
Iraq
Iran
Mexico
Guatemala
El Salvador
Brazil
Israel
Jordan
Egypt
Nigeria
Ghana
Canada
Denmark
Germany
France
India
Pakistan
Vietnam
Philippines
South Africa
Romania
Serbia
Syria
Honduras
Cambodia
Greece
Lithuania
England
Scotland

That’s off the top of my head. I know I missed a few. I am not kidding or exaggerating. I actually shocked at the list, but it’s for real. I remember all the faces, a lot of the names.

So yeah, melting pot.

@jaytkay You have an astonishing memory! I know some people who came over from Vietnam in the early 70’s. They live across the street. When we introduced ourselves the guy told me his name is Charlie. I about fell out of my shoes.

@Dutchess_III I looked over a world map and noted the places that brought someone to mind.

And for the past 25 years I’ve lived in Chicago (over 20% foreign-born) and Los Angeles (over 35%).

Also I forgot Lebanon. I worked for a company owned by a Lebanese family.

Pretty sure I can tick off someone from most of the countries that list living in my own neighborhood. In a lot of cases, that is based on the available cuisine.

Not any more. 100 years ago, maybe, but the flood is over and equilibrium has set in. The population of the planet is as balanced as it’s going to get so the whole world is now the pot.

I heard from British people whom I email that Great Britain has taken that title from America.

^^^^ I think they’re more tolerant, too.