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Identity of america


Immigrants could be easily identified and were discriminated against. Immigrants faced low wages, expulsion from certain neighborhoods and public establishments, even violence and terror from groups such as the Klan. In an effort to escape discrimination, many immigrants chose to assimilate into the mainstream American culture by giving up any personal characteristics that identified themselves with their cultural heritage. For example, a Chinese family immigrates to America. Upon arrival, the family decides to renounce all of the characteristics of their former culture. They live in a manner that denies all aspects of their heritage any place in their lives or the lives of future generations. Their heritage is gone and a great deal of their identity is lost to a generic form of American culture. .
             The advantage of a melting pot society is that it forms a society that shares common interests. However, immigrants loose their cultural identity and become like everyone else who lives in America. When people lose their identity, they lose their sense of individuality. Progress depends on diversity; different individuals with different ideas are what make America thrive. I do not believe the image of the melting pot fits today's idea of the American culture. Conforming to the life of a so-called "average American" is no longer a requirement of new Americans for two reasons, because mainstream America has begun to lose its prejudice against different cultures and because America's immigrants want to keep their heritage as a part of identity. Most immigrants would prefer to have the freedom promised by America's creed, to keep as few or many of the traditions of their heritage while simultaneously pursuing the American dream. .
             The image of American culture as a tossed salad was never as widely thought of as the other two images. A tossed salad is made up of many ingredients tossed together. Figuratively a tossed salad culture represents a culture made up of many individual cultures, each preserving their own traditions.


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