Are we Really a melting pot?

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Historically, the term "melting pot" was reserved for European immigrants - Ie Italian, Irish, Polish, German, Jewish etc. It never really applied to African Americans after the Civil War, nor the large group of Chinese that immigrated in the late 19th century.

Edited September 28, 2010 by Sousuke

[DEDixon 39]

quote from here: Link to another thread

the US isn't integrated either.

i dated a filipina for a few years before the one i married and hardly ever were there any thing other than filipinos at family events large and small.

i have hispanic friends and same situation with them as well.

i work in tech and have seen east indians gather in their own space during lunch.

i dated a school teacher who said at lunch the kids are for the most part separated by culture. lunch time, in a school setting, is that one time of day where the kids can choose where they want to sit.

the US is famous for cultural events, but it is always indians making indian food, hispanics making hispanic food, etc. etc. they are celebrating their own culture and inviting others in. i think it is time for a change. indian should make hispanic food, japanese should make indian food, etc. to really learn about another culture is by seriously taking an active interest (purposely do something to show you understand another culture would be a lot more meaningful).

melting pot at work but no where else.

Edited September 28, 2010 by DEDixon

[Danno 1,228]

My melting pot example - was at a Hispanic indoor flea market (somewhere in Texas) -

and there was a Korean seller there - selling Chinese shirts similar to the famous 'George Bush Version'.

He had 3 hispanic workers covering the floor, I was talking to them about where they got their gear, in Spanish.

Finally, I asked the seller about these shirts, in English - he didn't understand me. I switched to Mandarin, and he laughed at me - then finally, I switched to Spanish, and we had a long conversation.

The shirts were made in Vietnam

You point out one of two areas that I have noted people actually mixing on a volunteer basis.

YOu mentioned for financial incentive and the other is.... romance.

Oddly enough even Religion does not transcend this tendency except for a few congregations.

[Heracles 417]

Melting pot is a flawed ideology anyway, it reminds me of the utopia of Communism; which failed epically in reality.

It's better for people to be proud of their heritage and identity and to learn to interact [embrace] one another. Forcing everyone to become the same brings no benefits to a society. It's also human nature to people to stick with those they identify themselves with, when they are in large numbers in an area.

On a side note, I have always found it funny [hypocritical] that lefties in a number of countries do not live in the same areas they so dearly defend.

Edited September 28, 2010 by Heracles