As children in elementary school, we were told that America is one big “melting pot.” The “melting pot” metaphor is used to describe how immigrants who come to America eventually become assimilated into American culture, thus creating multiple cultures that have blended into one.

Then, as we got older, we entered the debate of determining if America is a “melting pot” or a “salad bowl.” The “salad bowl” metaphor is a different view describing that immigrants who come to America combine their cultures with others, but still retain their own cultural identity. Basically, America is one big integration of unique, distinct cultures.

So which is it? The debate between these two metaphors is constant and depends on how someone views the world and the United States.

These two metaphors are used to describe America’s multiculturalism. The United States is home to immigrants from all over the world, which has resulted in such a high amount of multiculturalism. Immigrants are constantly coming to America and bringing their unique cultures with them.

In reality, the metaphor of a “melting pot” is no longer useful. Instead, America is more closely a “salad bowl.” We are all together, as one, but we also all have distinct cultures. Chinese-American citizens still celebrate the Chinese New Year. Indian-Americans still celebrate Diwali. And Mexican-Americans still celebrate The Day of the Dead. The list could go on and on. So, yes, they are American, but they still celebrate and practice their own culture.

On the other hand, America has become a “melting pot” in some aspects. Many cultures celebrate American holidays, even if it is not part of their own culture. For example, many non-Christian families who do not celebrate Christmas still partake in the exchange of gifts on this holiday. This could be termed as some cultures becoming “Americanized,” that is beginning to act as “Americans” do.

On top of that, the majority of immigrants from other countries that come to the United States do assimilate in the language area. Although there is no official language declared by the federal government, English is the most spoken language in the United States, as well as the official language in 31 states. Therefore, most immigrants either come to the United States knowing English, or learn it once they settle down. There has been heavy controversy over speaking different languages in the United States. You may be familiar with the saying: “You’re in America so you should speak English.” Many videos have surfaced on the Internet of Americans criticizing people from other countries for not speaking English in the United States. This shows that there is somewhat of an “expectation” for other cultures to learn English if they chose to live in the United States. This isn’t necessarily correct, but it is a popular viewpoint in the states.

On the social level, immigrants may also assimilate. Every culture has different social qualities, whether is be related to eye contact, conversational distance, or physical contact. When it comes to basic social interactions, like a conversation or a handshake, immigrants may easily assimilate into American culture. However, when it comes to more complex social interactions for immigrants, like friendships or marriage, the social aspects of their distinct culture may come more into play.

In some sense, America has become a “melting pot,” but looking at the bigger picture, it really is a “salad bowl.” People of other nationalities still keep their cultural identities. A “melting pot” would suggest that once people come to America from a different country, their cultural identity is basically lost and becomes solely American. But can’t you be American and still have your own distinct culture, even if it is from outside of the United States? Immigrants do assimilate in certain areas in order to adjust to the “American way”, but overall, they keep their cultural identity.

Immigrants should not be expected to assimilate into American culture. America was founded as the land of the free and a place where you can be whoever you want. Therefore, if America wants to uphold this ideal that the country was founded on, immigrants should be allowed to decide when and how much they assimilate into American culture, if they decide to at all.

If you really think about it, America does not really have an “authentic” culture, because American culture is a mix of hundreds, if not thousands, of different cultures. People from all over the world have been coming to America since it was first discovered, so in reality, America’s culture is everyone’s culture. American culture cannot simply be defined as one thing. It is hard to define it at all, just because of how great and complex it is. Walking down the street, you see people of all ethnicities, races, and origins. Everyone is unique with their own culture, and that is what makes America so unique. So, we should celebrate multiculturalism, not deny it, because that is the true definition of what America really is.