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The melting pot is a metaphor for the way in which heterogenous societies develop, in which the ingredients in the pot (iron, tin; people of different backgrounds and religions, etc.) are processed until they lose their discrete identities and yield a final product of uniform consistency and flavor, but which is quite different from the original inputs. This process is also known as amalgamation.
The metaphor of the melting pot comes from Englishman Israel Zangwill's play The Melting Pot, which was first performed in Washington, D.C. in 1908.
The melting pot idea is most strongly associated with the 19th century United States. It was believed that the floods of immigrants coming to America worked to shed their historic identities and adopt the American way. The use of the English language also strengthen the melting pot ideology.
The idea of multiculturalism is sometimes described as existing in contrast to the idea of amalgamation. This expansion of the melting pot theory is described as the ethnic stew theory, or in Canada, the tossed salad theory. In the multicultural approach, each "ingredient" retains its integrity and flavors, while still yielding a successful final product. This approach is to some extent used in Canada and Britain.
In amalgamation, new arrivals are assimilated into the dominant culture, multiculturalism takes a more pluralistic approach.
Assimilation can have negative implications for minority or native cultures, in that after assimilation the distinctive features of the minority or native culture will be minimized and may disappear altogether. This is especially true in situations where institutions of the dominant culture initiate programs to assimilate or integrate minority cultures.
Assimiliation can result in a relatively homogenous society, with a strong sense of nationalism; however, where minorities are strongly urged to assimilate, there can arise groups which directly oppose integration. With assimilation, immigrants lose their original cultural (and often linguistic) identity and so do their children. Immigrants who fled persecusion or a country devastated by war were historically resiliant to abandoning their heritage once they had settled in a new country.
Assimilation can also be forced, as well as voluntary. Perhaps the best known application of forced assimilation is in regards to the United States. In 1879, Army Captain Richard Pratt opened the United States Indian Training and Industrial School in Carlisle, PennsylvaniaCarlisle is a borough located in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the borough had a total population of 17,970. It is the county seat of Cumberland County 6. Carlisle is home to two institutes of higher learning: Dickinson College t. The school integrated Indians into white society, and took "before and after" photographs.
Cultural assimilation is adhered to by many european countries such as FranceThe French Republic or France ( French: Republique francaise or France is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents., which started granting citizenship to all without regards to origin or religion after the French revolution. However, it was always expected then that when immigrants demanded French citizenship, they wanted to become French nationals. The idea behind this way of thinking presupposed that one day all peoples of the Earth would free themselves from the monarchy and do what the people of France and the United States had done regarding citizenship. However, since not all peoples succeeded at overthrowing the monarchy in their home country and some (like the Jews or the Gypsies) no longer had a homeland, a clash of nationalisms occurred inside countries that were very liberal.
The melting pot remains a stock phrase in American political and cultural dialogue. The general perception of its process and effects can be summed up in "The Great American Melting Pot" song from Schoolhouse Rock!Schoolhouse Rock is a series of 46 educational shorts featuring rock songs about schoolroom topics, including grammar, science, economics and American history and politics. Originally conceived by Thomas G. Yohe in 1972, the shorts were broadcast on ABC t
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