Daisy Ruvalcaba

Chance Fraser
English 350`
March 09, 2013
The New Definition of the Melting Pot
America is the home of the free. People come to this country to escape from poverty, or in
some cases, political persecution. America is a country with many cultures. In the past, America
became known as the melting pot, where immigrants were expected to shed their ethnic cultures
and become American. These days, however, people that arrive to this country try to blend in or
assimilate while trying to keep their own cultural ideas. Koreans and Mexicans are examples of
cultures that try to keep their cultures but still try to assimilate to the American society. These two
groups are examples of the new way immigrant people are becoming American.
Koreans that live in America try to keep their culture and ideas. Children that are born in the
United States are expected to speak Korean. The parents of Korean children expect that their children
will learn how to speak English in school. The Korean children are taught Korean either by a private
tutor or at home. For the most part, Korean people date or marry in their culture, trying not to date or
marry interracially. In the United States, there is high urban segregation. For example, in California,
you have large populations of Koreans that live together, making it easy for Koreans to keep very
close ties with their culture. They also try and blend in as American when not in Korean social
circles. They blend into the American culture by speaking English. In present time, it is easier for
Koreans to be American and become part of American culture. For example, Koreans have
contributed to American pop culture and fashion. Koreans have also seen that they need to make
money to be able to succeed in this country, and many of them become doctors or own small

businesses. In this way, when they are not solely with other Koreans, they try to bring a little of their
Korean into American culture, but still portray themselves primarily as American.
The Mexican culture in the United States is similar to the Korean experience. In the 1960s it
was hard for Mexicans to keep their culture. Children were not allowed to speak Spanish or share
their culture in school. Because of this type of history, Mexicans that grew up in the 1960s are
ashamed of being Mexican and are of the belief that you have to speak only English in order to
excel in this country. The current generation of Mexicans has had a different experience. Most
Mexicans live in segregated neighborhoods that have high Mexican populations. Because Mexicans
live with so many other Mexicans, and because there is a constant flow of new immigration to this
country, Mexicans are able to keep closer ties with their culture than they did in the past. Mexican or
Latin culture has also been incorporated into pop culture, so for example, Mexican novelas are
watched by many Americans and the idea of the latin bombshell appears everywhere. On the other
hand, the Mexican community also knows that they have to be able to blend into American culture in
some ways to succeed. Mexicans speak English and form political groups to register people in their
community to vote. The Mexican community effects their local elections and national elections as
well.
In the past ethnic communities were expected to forget their culture in order to truly become
American. Because of this many immigrants lost ties to their culture. If immigrants or ethnic
minorities wanted to succeed in this country, they had to be American and only American. In the
past, the idea of being a hyphenated American, like Mexican-American or Korean-American, did not
exist. Nowadays, ethnic people do not necessarily have to make that choice. As we have seen in the
examples above about Koreans and Mexicans, ethnic communities are finding ways to keep their
culture while still being American and contributing to American culture. Some would argue that
keeping ties with their culture and organizing economically and politically with people from their

ethnic groups have made ethnic minorities more powerful. For example, during the Presidential
Election, there was a lot of talk in the news and polls about the Latino Vote, where most of the
Latino population in the United States is Mexican. This past summer, who did not hear Gangnam
Style and want to do the dance like Psye, the Korean singer that sings Gangnam Style. In other
words, what it takes to be American and what it is to be an American has changed. Being American
no longer means being a white American and not keeping your culture. Now, like we see in the case
of Mexican and Koreans, people can have a little bit of both and benefit from being a little bit of
both.