WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MELTING POT?
the melting-pot philosophy
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Intercultural communication is now normal for most people these days. Living in the United States gives people a great opportunity to be a part of intercultural communication without even having to travel to another country. But it was never like this before. Many years ago, the United States embraced the melting-pot philosophy. The melting-pot philosophy is the view that different cultures should be assimilated into the dominant culture. According to this theory, immigrants came to the United States and lost or gave up their original heritage and became Americans. The national motto at the time was E pluribus unum, which was a Latin phrase that meant “out of many.” This motto reflected the melting-pot philosophy. During that time, it was believed that diverse cultural groups should be assimilated into the parent, or dominant culture, like a melting-pot (Gamble 25).
cultural pluralism
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Over the years, the philosophy of cultural pluralism has replaced the melting-pot philosophy. The philosophy of cultural pluralism allows for cultures to maintain differences while coexisting in a broader society. Cultural pluralists have tolerance for difference and believe in respect for uniqueness. In a multicultural society, it is believed that every group will do things differently, and that’s okay (Gamble 26).
multiracial americans
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Demographers believe that diversity will shape our country’s future. The five largest ethnic groups in the country are people that identify themselves as White (207.7 million), African Americans (36.6 million), Hispanic (38.8 million), Asian American (12.7 million), and Native American (3.5 million). In 2010, the US Census let 308 million Americans define their racial make-up as one race or more. Multiracial Americans are one of the fastest growing demographic groups. The United States is the most demographically diverse groups in the world. This most likely means that it is very likely that the number of contacts we have with people in other cultures will continue to increase. That is why it is very important that we are able to understand and communicate with people that have different backgrounds, nationalities, and lifestyles (Gamble 26).