How the Melting Pot Social Imagination served America...

 

"The Melting Pot" and its message still holds a tremendous power on the national imagination – the promise that all immigrants can be transformed into Americans, a new alloy forged in a crucible of democracy, freedom and civic responsibility.

What does 'melting pot' mean? In sociology, the "melting pot" was a concept referring to a heterogeneous 'diverse' society becoming more homogeneous 'same' with the different elements “melting together” into a harmonious whole with a common culture.

When you really look at American history, we learn that from the early 'get go'... America was heterogeneous 'diverse' and it still is. Sure, it looks like it had a greater number of Europeans in the beginning but not entirely. Other groups were brought in and or arrived too including Asians who largely participated in building the railroad.

In 1908, the United States was in the middle of absorbing the largest influx of immigrants in its history – Irish and Germans, followed by Italians and East Europeans, Catholics and Jews – some 18 million new citizens between 1890 and 1920. And, the first major wave of Asian immigration to the continental United States occurred primarily on the West Coast during the California Gold Rush, starting in the 1850s. Whereas, Chinese immigrants numbered less than 400 in 1848 and 25,000 by 1852.

Today, the United States is experiencing its second great wave of immigration, a movement of people that has profound implications for a society that by tradition pays homage to its immigrant roots at the same time it confronts complex and deeply ingrained ethnic and racial divisions.

The immigrants of today come not from Europe but overwhelmingly from the still developing world of Asia and Latin America. The are driving a demographic shift so rapid that within the lifetimes of today's teenagers, NO one ethnic group – including whites of European descent – will comprise a majority of the nation's population.

This shift, according to social historians, demographers and others studying the trends, will severely test the premise of the fabled melting pot, the idea, so central to national identity, that this country can transform people of every color and background into "one America."

Just as possible, they say, is that the nation will continue to fracture into many separate, disconnected communities with no shared sense of commonality or purpose. Or perhaps it will evolve into something in between, a pluralistic society that will hold on to some core ideas about citizenship and capitalism, but with little meaningful interaction among groups.

Let's reconsider that so called harmonious whole with a 'common culture' mentioned in the above second paragraph of this blog post. The US was and is heterogeneous or diverse with peopling having come to America from many places in the world and supposedly melting into a common culture. But, was there ever a harmonious whole a common culture? Maybe it was more a universal 'culture' in terms of free-will aware human beings seeking to shed what was wrong for what is true and right in terms of a free society.

Whether you agree or not, lets' look at what are those common values were/are and how they alone can evolve every new person into an American? To begin, over the years, studies have been conducted as to what holds a diverse population like the US together. After all, the United States is a country/nation of immigrants.

1. PERSONAL CONTROL OVER THE ENVIRONMENT People can/should control nature, their own environment and destiny. The future is not left to fate. Result: An energetic, goal-oriented society.

2. CHANGE / MOBILITY Change is seen as positive and good. This means progress, improvement and growth. Result: An established transient society geographically, economically and socially.

3. TIME AND ITS IMPORTANCE Time is valuable - achievement of goals depends on the productive use of time. Result: An efficient and progressive society often at the expense of interpersonal relationships.

4. EQUALITY / EGALITARIANISM People have equal opportunities; people are important as individuals, for who they are, not from which family they come. Result: A society where little deference is shown or status is acknowledged.

5. INDIVIDUALISM, INDEPENDENCE AND PRIVACY People are seen as separate individuals (not group members) with individual needs. People need time to be alone and to be themselves. Result: Americans may be seen as self-centered and sometimes isolated and lonely.

6. SELF-HELP Americans take pride in their own accomplishments. Result: Americans give respect for self-achievements not achievements based on rights of birth.

7. COMPETITION AND FREE ENTERPRISE Americans believe competition brings out the best in people and free enterprise leads to progress and produces success Result: Competition is emphasized over cooperation.

8. FUTURE ORIENTATION / OPTIMISM Americans believe that, regardless of past or present, the future will be better and happier. Result: Americans place less value on past events and constantly look ahead to tomorrow.

9. ACTION AND WORK ORIENTATION Americans believe that work is morally right; that it is immoral to waste time. Result: There is more emphasis on "doing" rather than "being". This is a no-nonsense attitude toward life.

10. INFORMALITY Americans believe that formality is "un-American" and a show of arrogance and superiority. Result: A casual, egalitarian attitude between people is more accepted.

11. DIRECTNESS / OPENNESS / HONESTY One can only trust people who "look you in the eye" and "tell it like it is". Truth is a function of reality not of circumstance. Result: People tend to tell the "truth" and not worry about saving the other person's "face" or "honor".

12. PRACTICALITY / EFFICIENCY Practicality is usually the most important consideration when decisions are to be made. Result: Americans place less emphasis on the subjective, aesthetic, emotional or consensual decisions.

13. MATERIALISM / ACQUISITIVENESS Material goods are seen as the just rewards of hard-work, the evidence of "God's favor." Result: Americans are seen as caring more for things than people or relationships.

Adapted from “The Values Americans Live By”, L. Robert Kohls ~ https://www.bu.edu/isso/files/pdf/AmericanValues.pdf

Now, given that, what exactly defines a 'racist' in America given the diversity and the non-typical racial composition of today's 21st century demographics? If everyone adhered to the above common values ... including those willing to risk life and limb?  The point is that millions came to America risking life and limb. Many died and many moved on. That's a free society. Are there social ills and or pitfalls in a free society? Of course and the ruling elite know it.

So, where is the so-called division coming from in our free society? Its coming from as it always has... from the ruling elite. The 1% which is composed of the corporate wealthy and or political power elite group. Such people actually want to create a harmonious whole to control. Now, that sounds good but a 'haromonious' whole of their making is easier for them to control... just do some history on the myth making social imagination in America.

Why is a diverse society with a practical social contract [US Constitution] better than a 'harmonious' whole? Because, from time to time, there is a need for revival of its social contract, a reminder. That is fanned at the grass roots level. In this way, a diverse society can revive itself through meaningful interaction supported by the above values. 

The Globalists don't want diversity because diversity is unstable in their view. They don't want that... They like to steer from the top down. They want to get people on board with their agenda for a harmonious whole through the use of propaganda, staged events, and labeling people to pit them against each other.  And, now its mandates... The melting pot is and has been melting for some time and so its seems they are winning.

 

*Recommended reading, The Myth Making Frame of Mind: Social Imagination and American Culture: Wadsworth Publishing, CA 1995.

Additional Online Source~  https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/meltingpot/melt0222.htm