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Essay / Myths of the Melting Pot - 1981
Perhaps the myth of the “Melting Pot” gained strength during the industrial revolution. With the arrival of millions of immigrants to the United States, the culture was changing in the United States. Americans set high standards for their society and everyone wanted to be accepted. There was a social demand to live in a civil society together creating the “American Dream,” which leads to prosperity. Many immigrants settling in the United States brought with them various traditions from their culture and after moving, they suppressed those beliefs and moved forward with a new way of "American thinking." The rituals and traditions of such societies should have brought diversity to the culture of that nation, but these practices would soon become a thing of the past. The myth of the “Melting Pot” strongly influences American society and people believe that everyone, regardless of skin color or religious beliefs, is created equal. This belief in the American Way of life is idyllic to say the least. Unfortunately, this myth has been thwarted due to the high level of racial supremacy within past and even present nations. There are two particular events in national history that will forever hinder equality: the enslavement of African Americans and the Japanese internment camps during World War II in America. These important events shape our society and are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to racial equality in America. The myth of the “Melting Pot” is a farce within American society that prevents Americans from confronting issues of societal equality. Only when America decides to face the truth, that society is not equal, and examine the reasons why such equality is a dream rather than a reality. Will society be able to tackle this...... middle of paper ......, Ruben. The Crossing. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2007. 574-83. Print.Alexie, Sherman. Assimilation. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2007. 584-96. Print.Yoshino, Kenji. The pressure to cover. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2007. 598-608. Print.Morales, Aurora L. “Child of the Americas”. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2007. 609-10. Print.