Is the whole idea of the United States as a “melting pot”, the term we’ve been taught since elementary school, actually incorrect? Steinberg cites works such as an article entitled “America is NOT a Melting Pot” that suggest that immigrants hold on to their native cultures rather than assimilate into American culture. To say that America either is or is not a melting pot is a simplification of a very complex matter. The melting pot theory is not so black and white. Although America is not entirely a melting pot lacking any semblance of distinct cultures, immigrants must “melt” into American society to some extent if they want to be successful. Even though immigrants will probably retain many of their old cultural traditions, they must learn some aspects of the American way of life (whether these be the language, the customs, etc.) in order to obtain a decent job or even converse in daily scenarios.

Another matter comes into question when we speak of assimilation: What exactly is the “American” culture that immigrants are (or are not, depending on who you ask) absorbing? Walzberg suggests that to be American is to be “ethnically anonymous”. For example, when I traveled abroad, I answered the question “Where are you from?” many times. Now that I think about it, my answer “The United States” really didn’t tell the person anything about my background except where I lived. Yes, I live in the United States, but so what? My background could be Irish, German, etc, but being “American” does not reveal that. I think this is perhaps another reason that so many immigrants are attracted to America. As Walzberg states, American citizenship doesn’t require a person to commit to a specific nationality. Immigrants are, to an extent, free to assimilate into anything they choose because American culture is so mixed.

I also don’t think that immigrants are the only ones who assimilate into “American” culture. Native born Americans, such as myself, also assimilate into the immigrant cultures. If it were not for the large numbers of Hispanic immigrants that have come to the United States, I would not have my current interest in learning Spanish. As a preteen, I loved the little Asian store in Flushing that sold the stationary items with Chinese lettering and images on them. Native born Americans are exposed to the cultures of so many immigrant groups and that affects us as well. Therefore, I do think that the melting pot is taking place gradually, with Native born Americans and immigrants all doing the assimilating.