Introduction
The United States is viewed as a melting pot or a salad bowl due to its multicultural integration existing in its population. Melting pot and salad bowl are metaphors used to describe the integration of different cultures into one whole, mixing cultures while maintaining their unique identities. Both metaphors are applicable when analyzing the United States population to define the origin of communities. America’s population has been built by cultures from different corners of Earth, such as the African-Americans originating from immigration and slavery of Africans during the colonial error. During World War One (WWI), the U.S neutral policy significantly facilitated cultural integrations as people sought asylum. This is a supportive essay about the assumption that the U.S.A became a country of mixed cultures after WWI.
Main body
The assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir by Gavrilo Princip in 1914 was the initial action that triggered WWI. In response to the murder, Austria-Hungary retaliated by sending their demands to Serbia, which did not fully satisfy them, resulting in a war between the two countries. The formation of alliances between European countries escalated the war as nations complied with treaties signed for support. The United States remained neutral by not engaging in war but remained a silent ally to Britain by supplying weapons to them, resulting in the growth of the U.S economy (Donald Johnson, 2018). U.S was later engaged in WWI after the sinking of two American merchant ships by German soldiers. The war officially ended in mid-1919, when Germany and other allied powers agreed to sign the treaty of Versailles.
U.S emerged as a leader in economy, industry, and trade due to expanded economic activities caused by the demand for goods and services by WWI victims. The increased economic interactions involved partners from different countries all over the world, resulting in cultural exchanges. After the world war, the blacks who fought for America demanded equality since they were denied privileges as American citizens. During the early years of white supremacy, blacks were denied voting, especially in South America. The black lived in the U.S.A, but they could not choose their leaders symbolizing a salad bowl. The blacks relocated to the North after restoring white supremacy in the South for a better environment to improve their standards of living (Donald Johnson, 2018). Again, a dense population in the North caused crisis and chaos as both White and Blacks fought for resources resulting in separated community settlements.
The majority of Black people have lived in rural areas since colonialism. However, there was a significant increase in Blacks residing in urban areas since the emergence of wartime jobs to serve as soldiers. Although the Whites were in control of running government operations, the blacks found military recruitment necessary for improving their lives. The U.S.A can be termed a melting pot because it has incorporated multiple cultures to form one government. According to Vann (2020), many Asians settled in Oklahoma and central Europeans in the hills of Ozarks and Texas. Despite socialization on a legal basis, modernized cultural setups are evident all over the United States, such as the China Town in San Fransisco, where the Chinese maintain and practice their faith-based affiliations such as Buddhism. Christians and Catholics settled in locations such as Small Italy in New York.
Conclusion
In conclusion, World War One created a demand for goods and services to rebuild the economies of the most affected countries, resulting in the growth of the U.S economy. Stabilized economic and political environment attracted communities from different countries to conduct business and work in the U.S. Internal and cross-border immigration mixed different cultures creating the idea of a melting pot. Maintained cultural practices while living in the U.S forms the salad bowl ideology. Evidence from China-town and Small-Italy affirms that different ethnic groups conserve their cultures even after relocating to the United States.
References
Vann, B. (2020, Oct. 3). America: Melting pot vs salad bowl. YouTube. Web.
Johnson, P. (1997). A history of the American people (1st Edition). HarperCollins Publishers. Web.
Johnson, C. D. (2018). The wealth of a Nation: A history of trade politics in America. Oxford University Press.