Is America still a 'melting pot' for peoples of dfifferent ethnic backgrounds and beliefs?

[ringil]

Ah, very interesting. Thanks for the information.

I’m confused… since we do not have a national language, why does such a requirement exist?

I’m with you. There are millions of Americans who do not speak English or speak English poorly. This requirement must not be strictly enforced- and wisely so.

 

[Swiss_Guy]

Ah, very interesting. Thanks for the information.

I’m confused… since we do not have a national language, why does such a requirement exist?

25 states have English as their official religion

Just saying

 

[Dale_M]

The inscription on the Statue of Liberty is nice, but it was written by the French, who really did not understand that most Americans never really felt that way.

While the French had much to do with the construction of the statue, the inscription was added by Americans many years after the statue was finished and in place… The verses were composed by an American who was specifically requested to write a poem to raise funds for the new monument.

In 1883, William Maxwell Evarts and author Constance Cary Harrison asked [Emma] Lazarus to compose a sonnet for the “Art Loan Fund Exhibition in Aid of the Bartholdi Pedestal Fund for the Statue of Liberty” - an art and literary auction to raise funds for the Statue’s pedestal run by the American Committee for the Statue of Liberty. In turn, Lazarus, inspired by her own Sephardic Jewish heritage, her experiences working with refugees on Ward’s Island, and the plight of the immigrant, wrote “The New Colossus” on November 2, 1883. After the auction, the sonnet appeared in Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World as well as The New York Times. She died in New York City on November 19, 1887, most likely from Hodgkin’s lymphoma and was buried in Brooklyn.

Lazarus’ famous sonnet depicts the Statue as the “Mother of Exiles:” a symbol of immigration and opportunity - symbols associated with the Statue of Liberty today. After its initial popularity however, the sonnet slowly faded from public memory. It was not until 1901, 17 years after Lazarus’s death, that Georgina Schuyler, a friend of hers, found a book containing the sonnet in a bookshop and organized a civic effort to resurrect the lost work. Her efforts paid off and in 1903, words from the sonnet were inscribed on a plaque and placed on the inner wall of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Today, the plaque is on display in the Statue of Liberty Exhibit in the Statue’s pedestal.

nps.gov/stli/historyculture/emma-lazarus.htm

 

[Dale_M]

Well then, you need to fill some of the gaps in your knowledge. uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextchannel=86bd6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD

But, as is often the case, there are exceptions to that requirement

English Language Exemptions

You Are Exempt From The English Language Requirement, But Are Still Required To Take The Civics Test If You Are:

Age 50 or older at the time of filing for naturalization and have lived as a permanent resident (green card holder) in the United States for 20 years   (commonly referred to as the “50/20” exception).

OR

Age 55 or older at the time of filing for naturalization and have lived as a permanent resident in the United States for 15 years (commonly referred to as the “55/15” exception).

uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextchannel=ffe2a3ac86aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD

 

[TimeEntrance]

Well, I would say as someone who has lived in California, Connecticut, and Louisiana and has traveled to the MidWest alot, that the cultures within the United States differ greatly from area to area. Moving from West Coast to East Coast was a total culture shock! I was considered rude for hugging people the first time I met them, most people smoked cigarettes, people thought I was rude for correcting grammar and mispronunciations (which in my area of California everyone does this and it is considered courteous), it was foreign to me that people wore pajamas outside to check their mail and go to the grocery store, they also had a lot of nomenclature that I have never heard of , people were WAY WAY more into sports and tanning, and the list goes on and on.

I would say that each area of the U.S. has a distinct culture and I would say that each area is maybe a melting pot of the people in that area, but not as the U.S. as a whole. I would say that the morals differ from area to area, customs, and culture.

Actually, I agree with some of what you say but think you exaggerate the overall cultural differences.

I’ve been told by someone from India that taught a course at my university, that the United States is much more culturally similar and cohesive, even given it’s huge geographical size and different races, than is his native land of India.

 

[andrewstx]

Not where I live.

I’m a minority. I was born here and English is my native tongue.

A huge number of Hispanics won’t assimilate. The town I used to live in was 94% Hispanic. We had to drive almost 5 miles to get to a normal grocery store, all we had nearby featured Mexican delicacies, the announcements in Spanish, the aisles marked in Spanish, etc.

Billboards are in Spanish. Ads on buses are in Spanish. Half the radio stations are in Spanish here. They get their voter guides printed in Spanish! I thought basic English was a requirement for citizenship? Don’t forget, the kids have to be taught in Spanish, too.

Anyway… the cities of Alhambra and Monterey Park may as well just change their names to something in Chinese. The City of Walnut may as well be renamed Manila.

What irks me most though is that the Church feels it must accommodate them in every way. Ever been to a bilingual Mass? Or trilingual? The Creed said in three languages simultaneously doesn’t give the impression of one unified Church. Or on a Holy Day of Obligation, the Vigil Mass is held in Spanish. And nine people show up, at least two of whom, I know, are native English speakers and the rest don’t look like recent immigrants.

Not a melting pot at all. No way.

It is also the same in western Texas and New Mexico. Latinoes with no interest in assimilation. It is hard to find an employee in a shop or convience store who will deign to speak english to you.

But what bothers me most is the local parish church, the only one in this small town is practically owned and operated by latinoes, no organ just mariachi masses. Angloes are made to feel unwelcome. Most Irish and chezechs have joined baptist and “non denominational” churches, and I have become Orthodox.

The church here is named Our Lady of Lourdes, it should be Our Lady of Gaudalupe. I don’t dislike latinoes, it is they who seem to dislike anglos.

 

[TrixieMcGee]

Actually, I agree with some of what you say but think you exaggerate the overall cultural differences.

I’ve been told by someone from India that taught a course at my university, that the United States is much more culturally similar and cohesive, even given it’s huge geographical size and different races, than is his native land of India.

I told the truth and did not exaggerate or lie. Please don’t accuse me of such things. I had a hard time making friends out there due to cultural differences. Also in the different areas different groups of people reside there. In Cali there were a lot of Mexican people, so they changed the culture there, but in Ct there were a lot of Puerto Rican people, Hatian people, and Indian people, which changed the culture there, and in my area La there are a lot of Vietnamese people, and there is a large African American community, which also changes the culture. Cultures also vary greatly due to immigrants in the area and different communities of people.

 

[TimeEntrance]

I told the truth and did not exaggerate or lie. Please don’t accuse me of such things.

You are taking offense that I interpret what you wrote - or your opinion - as an exaggeration and possibly not intended?

I had a hard time making friends out there due to cultural differences. Also in the different areas different groups of people reside there. In Cali there were a lot of Mexican people, so they changed the culture there, but in Ct there were a lot of Puerto Rican people, Hatian people, and Indian people, which changed the culture there, and in my area La there are a lot of Vietnamese people, and there is a large African American community, which also changes the culture. Cultures also vary greatly due to immigrants in the area and different communities of people.

It might come as a surprise to you but I’ve been on the East Coast, West Coast, Southwest, South and Southeastern parts of the United States and I live in the Midwest.

I’ve been in California and New York. While culturally different than the Midwest in some ways… the cultural gaps can be exaggerated. Frankly, the North and South sides of Milwaukee probably have a larger cultural gap between each other than Milwaukee does from New York or L.A. as a whole. The near South side has a lot of Mexicans many of whom have come from Mexico and Texas. Stores sell cowboy hats and boots. The music bump in cars is Mexican. Many of the stores and people only speak Spanish.

However, I found Brooklyn, New York reminded me of my childhood neighborhood - they both have the similar vibe and auto and pedestrian traffic and noise volume. Although Queens had housing that looked more typical of my childhood neighborhoods.

In general Americans I think have a rather cohesive culture. That’s probably less true with first generation immigrants but I think after a couple generations it’s largely true.

Of course, there are subcultures in the U.S. too like the Hip Hop culture (which is pretty racially diverse, though dominated by blacks and Latinos).

All the laws in the United States are under Common Law except for the state of Louisiana which is run under Civil Law. I think this makes the U.S. more culturally cohesive than say… Nigeria where one part of the nation is run under Islamic law and the other part of the nation is not.

If you go to a culturally cohesive place like Brazil - similar in geographical size to the U.S. and in history of immigration - you’ll find metropolis rivalries between the people from Sao Paulo (known as Paulistas) and Rio de Janeiro (known as Cariocas) kind of like the rivalries between the West Coast and East Coast of the United States. Or more namely between New York and L.A.

 

[Marie1234]

I don’t think our country is much a “melting pot”. Not even close.

 

[tabycat]

What irks me most though is that the Church feels it must accommodate them in every way. Ever been to a bilingual Mass? Or trilingual? The Creed said in three languages simultaneously doesn’t give the impression of one unified Church. Or on a Holy Day of Obligation, the Vigil Mass is held in Spanish. And nine people show up, at least two of whom, I know, are native English speakers and the rest don’t look like recent immigrants.

Not a melting pot at all. No way.

Here in Tacoma Washington you can go to a Polish, Karean, Vietamise, English, Spainish, or Latin mass. That’s just the ones that I know of.

 

[Aelred_Minor]

25 states have English as their official religion

Just saying

Is this irony or a typo?

If half the states in the union have made English their official language I’m very disappointed in my fellow Americans. English is not in danger of extinction in this country. If we get into the official language business at all, which I don’t think we should, it should be in order to protect and encourage minority languages by giving them official status alongside English.

 

[Dale_M]

I
If half the states in the union have made English their official language I’m very disappointed in my fellow Americans. English is not in danger of extinction in this country.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_States#Official_language_status

A couple states declared English as an official language several decades ago, but of the 28 which have done so, most declarations were during the past 20 years (when if became a political concern among some voters)

 

[Agatha813]

I don’t like the analogy of the “melting pot” as I believe it emphasizes a desire for folks to cast aside the unique life experiences which they bring with them.

I prefer the analogy of the “salad bowl”.

Diversity is what makes the US the vibrant country that it is.

Most definitely. We’re more of a salad bowl than a melting pot. People’s cultural diversity shows from area to area and group from group. I believe there is a standard we all assimilate to (as in English is the main language to communicate in), but our differences most definitely show.