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The melting pot theory
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Throughout the course of history the definition of the term “American” has changed repeatedly. The changes in the definition of the term between 1865 and 2011 coincide with political, social and economic trends during any specific time during this period. Originally the term “American” was not an inclusive term and even though the Constitution states that all men are created equal, many “Americans” did not practice what they preached. However, it is a common phrase today that America is a “melting pot” where peoples from many different countries and cultures come to live a better life. Although certain groups in the United States still struggle with being ostracized by some citizens, they are still “Americans” as the term is now inclusive. The subtle shift in the view of the term “American” from a non-inclusive term to an inclusive term can be tracked through the mindset of citizens of the United States through many periods leading up to the present. For example, African Americans gained their freedom at the end of the Civil War but they were not really considered Americans until years later during the Civil Rights movement and immigrants were not often included in the term “American” as they were not the “ideal” candidates to represent America; ie, they were often not white, middle class, and/or Protestant. Over time, however, these stigmas were dropped and now many Americans are proud to be part of a nation that is so diverse. To properly analyze this shift, we have to examine the time periods surrounding the subtle changes and in order to do that we must first start with the period after the Civil War. When the Civil War ended, African Americans were freed from slavery with the enactment of the Thirteenth Amendment. Of the ro... ... middle of paper ... ... Progressives also continue to exclude immigrants after the war and into the 1920s by putting severe restrictions on the immigration process as they did not want anyone coming to the United States that did not fit into their ideal mold of who an American should be. They start implementing these restrictions after multiple publicized issues with immigrants turning into criminals, etc. as in the case of the Italian immigrants Sacco and Vanzetti. The Progressives use the American populace’s fear of these people to further their own agendas and create the National Origins Act of 1924 which basically eradicates immigration from Asia, Africa and other undesirable places but allows immigration from desirable countries such as England and Germany. World War II sparks a fresh shift for the term “American” due to ethnocentric views of other countries and their inhabitants.
I am influenced to believe that the American Dream is still present today and continues to be achievable. The American Dream was embodied in important historical events that have positively affected our nation to this day. Without the mention of the American Dream in these articles, no one would posses the concept of how we are supposed to be living as American Citizens. The definition of The American Dream is the idea that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and
when defining an American. We always focus Americans as these freedom hungry people and that's it, but that's not it we are much more than just freedom. We are these wonderful people who innovate, believe, and perspire to do the best and be the best they can be. The world has many positive and negative outlooks on what an American means. Americans are fighters who don’t let things go. We are all equal and put together to be one nation. The three main things that define an American is having freedom
form a people's way of life. With our melting pot status, American culture is constantly changing as new people, new ideas, and new technology make their way into our society and change the way we think and feel. The ebb and flow of our culture can be easily seen by walking our streets and seeing how different age groups and races act similarly and differently to stimulus. This essay will discuss how even though our What is the American culture exactly? A difficult question to answer as it not
The American Dream to me is a dream that each person sets to achieve in the future that brings them happiness in life.My idea of what I would want of my American Dream would be to grow up, get a college degree in the occupation of my dream, and have a nice healthy family. According to Dictionary.com, the American Dream definition is either the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to everyone in America, or the definition can be a life of personal happiness
Freedom is a forever changing concept. For each individual, the definition of freedom is solely their own. There is no way to define freedom in a concrete way, but instead it can be looked at individualistically such as “the freedom to” or “the freedom from”; the freedom of certain rights, self-definition, and religion or the freedom from oppression, prejudice and judgement. Throughout history, freedom’s definition has molded itself into the life and society of those of that specific time, but as
Originally defined by James Truslow Adams in The Epic of America, written by Adams himself in 1931, the American Dream is a well-known set of ideals. Adams’ definition of this idea is that the United States should be a country where everyone has opportunities and life is full and rich for anyone who has worked for it. I disagree with Adams’ definition of the American Dream. Not everyone is granted a full and rich life teeming with opportunities. No matter how hard people work, the wealthy have
THE AMERICAN DREAM. Introduction. By definition the American dream refers to the national ethos of the great United States of America (Mailer,1965). It contains a defined set of ideals that include the chance for not only prosperity but also success and freedom. Further the American dream entails the upward societal mobility that can be achieved through hard work. James Adams in 1931 defined the American dream by saying that life should be richer , better and fuller for all individuals , with the
Everybody’s definition for being American is different. I think that our generation defines if you are American if you have pride towards our country and to stand up for what you believe in, and to be respectful to the people around you and the people who fought for you to be here. Being American also means you spend time with your family and spend time with people and not just ignore everyone and do nothing. For example my family and I have a lake house down at the lake of the ozarks and we usually
is the American identity? The American identity is a universal idea of what the ideal American should be like, and is a constantly changing idea. Since the American dream is constantly changing, it is safe to say that it changes with time. There are also reasons that make the American identity change, like a war, a new president, or a new idea. The American identity will never stay the same for a long time because of today's ever changing society. Over time, the definition of the American identity
Varying Definitions of 'America' in American Literature Denotations and connotations inherent in the word "America" in different works of American literature have a number of similarities and differences. Often, the definition of the word is not known at the beginning of a work and one of the thematic elements is the search for the true "America," whatever it may be for the author in question. Many American authors raise the question, "What is America?" and go about answering it in their
Money and American Dream My definition of the American Dream is to be a successful person, such as being a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer to be able to buy what I want. It would be easier for Americans to work because it can provide them the opportunity to get their needs and wants. Being successful in America is common because every time I turn around, it’s always some kind of invention of material such as the Iphones.Money is important to be successful and to be able to pay bills, get my dream
concept because it has numerous shapes and forms. The more commonly known definition of success is: “The prosperous achievement of something attempted; the attainment of an object according to one's desire: now often with particular reference to the attainment of wealth or position.” Nowadays, mainstream marketing and media have strongly blinded and influenced our society into accepting a fabricated and potentially dangerous definition of success. Most marketers want us to believe that having an abundance
The Definition of the American Dream as the Merriam-Webster dictionary stated is a happy way of living that is thought of by many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. especially by working hard and becoming successful With good jobs, a nice house, two children, and plenty of money. For a quite good number of americans and even other nationalities the phrase ' The American Dream ' is the motto of fine living for them. It's a motto that have been romanticized to the extreme
past, present, and future. Native American literature, as it evolves, defines the Native American culture and its status in the world, as an evolving people, more so than any historical account can. Before colonization, the Native Americans used oral traditions to teach, remember, entertain, and pray. Much of this knowledge was lost because of various reasons. After translation became an option some of these were written down. This is the beginning of Native American literature, the becoming of sound
The term, “American dream,” was first used by historian James Truslow Adams. James stated that the American dream was, “That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” Although the quote states a perfect definition of the American dream, this term can be interpreted in several ways. The American dream is achieving a goal that before was seen as impossible or unlikely, making a decision that