"The Melting Pot"

The United States is often called “the melting pot” due to its vast array of cultures and people. Despite its relatively young existence (at least when compared to European countries), America has an incredibly rich history. From the original Indigenous peoples and the colonial European settlers to the more recent immigrants from Asia and South America, the country as a whole cannot be pinned down to a single culture. On top of that, cultures have emerged from parts of the United States that are unique to their regions. The American creed is everything, and it is nothing.

Over the past few hundred years, people have immigrated to the United States for countless reasons. Some were escaping famine or persecution. Others left the countries they loved because of war. Some were simply searching for better job opportunities. No matter their plight, America was the light at the end of the tunnel. They arrived with their unique fears, skills, and experiences. Their individual histories helped them forge our collective American identity.

With them, they carried their traditions. Though most immigrants took the citizenship test to become “American,” a piece of them has always belonged to their homeland. Their native dress, dances, games, celebrations, languages, and even stories remained with them. The food their mother cooked while they were growing up inspired them to open a restaurant. They continued to weave, using the technique taught by their grandmother, who had been taught by her own grandmother. They found their communities and forged new ones, sharing their culture with everyone through Chinatowns and Little Italies. Some critics claim the United States has no cultural food, but they are mistaken. It has all of the foods—adapted and made uniquely American. This reflects the American creed.

Even the designations assigned to people reflect the American creed. Terms like “Asian-American,” “African-American,” and “European-American”—and more specific ones such as “Chinese-American” or “Mexican-American”—are more than just labels. These identities represent a duality—country of origin and chosen home, ancestors and descendants. You are made by the past, and you make your future. You are an individual, and you have a community. This is the true doctrine of Americanism.

Despite being one unified nation, the United States is notably diverse. Being the third largest country in the world by landmass, it simultaneously has deserts and tundras, forests and grasslands. The population has spread out across the country, though not evenly. These landscapes shape how people live, and in turn, how their local cultures develop—from the hardworking farmers of the South to the entrepreneurial spirits of the Northeast. We all live within the same national borders and exist under the same federal government. We all are American, but we are American in our own ways. We are so individual yet so very united in a way that only the people of America can be.

Some people assert that the celebration of differences is harmful and divisive, but these views overlook the heart of the American experience. Individuality is a beautiful thing that should be embraced rather than subdued. Identifying with your family’s culture doesn’t make you any less American—if anything, it makes you a true American.