Melting+Pot+Reflection

The Melting Pot is the eternal legend of the American people and a source of constant pride. I point out its creation in the presentation of the play by Israel Zangwill which embodies the romanticism which often accompanies stories of immigration. This is also evident in the video from //Schoolhouse Rock//, which is a staple of seventies pop culture. While I also enjoy the concept of the melting pot, I have to agree with many of its critics on some points. As William Booth points out, America is more like a salad bowl, the theory that is dominant in Canadian culture and lauded by multiculturalists. Living in an extremely segregated city like Chicago, it is very easy to realize the faults of the Melting Pot. But the Melting Pot should not be the goal of our society, and I agree with the multiculturalists that the remnants of home cultures expand and augment the American character. In including the Naturalization Act of 1795, I aim to show that the Melting Pot was not open to all, and included only "free white persons". Dubois also shows that the doors of opportunity have been closed on African-Americans. An astute visitor to the website would also notice that the video from //Schoolhouse Rock// does not include any non-Europeans. Also, the peaceful cohabitation between persons of different races has been historically outlawed. The Pace v. Alabama case showcases the dominant theories at the time of the origination of the "Melting Pot". Therefore we have a melting pot of whiteness that does not unify the whole country. But as de Tocqueville points out, the "mulatto" can be the transcendent over the bitter history of race. By including Obama I show that the barriers to a true American melting pot are not set in stone and that one day we may, in the words of Mr. Obama, be "one America." BACK