Melting Pot and Salad Bowl: What’s next?

Friends of DSKUSSS! We are bring back with an interesting story on American society. Have you heard of the terms of 'Melting Pot' and 'Salad Bowl'? If you have not, read this and understand what they are. If you have, please let us know what your opinion is through comments.

Melting Pot and Salad Bowl: What’s next?

Min Ji Kim

American Culture and Political Science

Sogang University

             The term, “melting pot” is used frequently to refer to the common culture of America that runs through the heterogeneous society which is comprised of different groups of immigrants from the European continent from as early as late 15^th century. This theory emphasizes the act of assimilation as the immigrants are ‘melted’ into one solid society. Crevecoeur, a French-American writer from the 18^th century writes, “Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world” in Letters from an American Farmer, which is a book known for its role in defining the American identity. From this, it is quite apparent that assimilating into the American society was the norm in the past for groups of immigrants that set foot onto the newly found land.

             Melting Pot, however, reached its limits as the exponents of assimilation theory were showered with criticism regarding its oppressiveness towards minority cultures. The Melting Pot theory practically suggests all cultures to merge into one and lose its distinctive characteristic, just like any substance thrown into the melting pot would end up as steel. Then another theory of a “salad bowl” was suggested to replace the melting pot, which compared the American society to a bowl of salad. Just like a salad bowl with many different ingredients mixed in with a dressing, the American society still has a common culture running through while at the same time appreciating each and every culture that exists on the American soil. This viewpoint was widely welcomed by the multiculturalists who argued against the melting pot theory and the assimilation policies.

             The cultural theories regarding the American society have developed throughout the history, from the melting pot to the salad bowl, and it seems like the issue on multiculturalism and diversity have concluded with an American salad bowl and coexistence of all cultures. Yet, still in America, debates on the very same issue still rage on. Just recently the problem of Affirmative Action started another discussion regarding the same topic and remarks by the owner of Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling, only added on to it.

             I believe that there can be no ultimate answer or solution to this issue which is highly debatable and controversial, but there are some very basic things we should not forget that underline all notions. As the popular American poet Walt Whitman writes in his book of poems, Leaves of Grass, we should all at first learn how to “celebrate myself, and sing myself”: learning to respect each and every individual as well as knowing that we all are strands of “grass” that will together form a beautiful lawn.