Living in America, especially in New York City, we are exposed to many different cultures. Like Greg mentioned, New York City is very diverse, with only a small percentage claiming to be natives. Kasinitz described New York City as “overwhelmingly a city of minorities and immigrants,” which makes this city unlike others because of how inclusive it is of different cultures. I think about how, during the summer, people have their car and home windows open and music is blaring out. On one block, I can hear not only pop songs but also Indian, reggae, hip-hop, and Spanish songs as well, and this is only a sample. Also, here it’s normal to like things outside your culture while also embracing your own.
I agree with Ashley and everyone else that believed America is more like a salad bowl. I always grew up hearing that New York was like a melting pot because of how diverse it is, but I think the salad bowl concept is more accurate. Immigrants came to America to live, work, and learn, but they also wanted to keep their old customs as well, which contributes to the “hyphenated American” idea. Every culture is distinct and stands out, and while we live together, we keep our uniqueness as well. There is no one definition for “American” because America is not just one culture or one nationality, but it embodies pretty much the entire world. As Waltzer said, anyone can live here because the country deosn’t belong to one particular group but to everyone here. Waltzer summarizes what he believes “American” stands for by repeating the country’s motto, e pluribus unum. We are many people, but we all live together.
