美国背景backgroundtoamerica2

America-AMeltingPot?AnationofimmigrantsImmigrationandemigrationImmigration,themovementofpeopleintoanothernationwiththeintentionofresidingtherepermanently.Thecontrastingtermemigrationreferstothemovementofpeoplepermanentlyleavinganation.Whatdoes“ameltingpot”mean?TraditionallytheUnitedStateshasbeendescribedasameltingpot,ametaphoricimageoftheUnitedStatesasafoundrythatcombinesthedifferentcomponentmetals-representedbyimmigrantsfromvariouscountries-intothenewmetal,Americans.LookatthephotosanddescribethemintermsofraceandancestryNativeAmericansGeneralEisenhowerYang,ChenLin----physicistandNobellaureateMichelleKwan---FigureskaterWinnersofOscarAwardsWhoareAmericans?ExceptforNativeAmericans,allAmericansareeitherrecentimmigrantsorthedescendantsofimmigrantswhohavesettledinNorthAmericaoverthelastfivecenturies.QuotedfromLettersfromanAmericanFarmerWhatthenistheAmerican,thisnewman?HeiseitheraEuropean,orthedescendantofaEuropean,hencethatstrangemixtureofblood,whichyouwillfindinnoothercountry.IcouldpointouttoyouafamilywhosegrandfatherwasanEnglishman,whosewifewasaDutch,whosesonmarriedaFrenchwoman,andwhosepresentfoursonshavenowfourwivesofdifferentnations.QuotedfromLettersfromanAmericanFarmerHeisanAmerican,wholeavingbehindhimallhisancientprejudicesandmanners,receivesnewonesfromthenewmodeoflifehehasembraced,thenewgovernmentheobeys,andthenewrankheholds.Hereindividualsofallnationsaremeltedintoanewraceofmen,whoselaborsandposteritywillonedaycausegreatchangesintheworld.TheAmericanisanewman,whoactsuponnewprinciples;hemustthereforeentertainnewideas,andfromnewopinions.ThisisanAmerican.ReadingActivityGuidedQuestionsWhyistheterm“ameltingpot”notmoresuitabletodescribetheUnitedStates?Whatistheimplicationofa“potofstew”?WhatarethelargeethnicgroupsfromEurope?WhatdoAmericanblacksthinkoftheiridentity?WhatisthesocialstatusoftheOrientalAmericans?CanyoufindoutanycomponentsoftheAmericanNation?Whyistheterm“ameltingpot”notmoresuitabletodescribetheUnitedStates?1)themeltingpotmetaphorimpliedthatAmericaisaplacewherethepreviousidentitiesofeachimmigrantgrouparemelteddowntocreateanintegrated,uniformsociety.2)ItdoesnotreflectthefeaturesofthediversemulticulturalsocietyoftheUnitedStates.Whatistheimplicationofa“potofstew”?themeatandvegetable:differentracialandnationalgroupThespicesandthewayitiscooked:thesamelanguage,theAmericanwayoflife,thelawWhatarethelargeethnicgroupsfromEurope?theAnglo-SaxonstheItalianstheGermanstheIrishInfluenceofGerman–AmericansonAmericanCultureThecelebrationofChristmasintheUnitedStates,forexample,reflectsGermanChristmascustoms.GermanAmericansintroducedChristmastreesandgift-giving.AGermanAmericanartist,ThomasNast,createdthetraditionalimageofSantaClaus.GermanAmericansalsointroducedtheEasterBunny.AmericanEnglishcontainsagreatnumberofwordsofGermanoriginbroughtintothelanguagebyGermanAmericans,includinghamburger,andwunderbar(wonderful).WhatdoAmericanblacksthinkoftheiridentity?AmericanblackstracetheirrootsbacktoAfricantribesinthedaysofslavery.MoreandmoreAmericanblacksidentifythemselveswithAfrica.WhatisthesocialstatusofOrientalAmericans?Lessthan1%ofthepopulationSuccessfulimmigrantsTheformationoftheAmericanNationNativeAmericansAmericansfromEurope(theAnglo-Saxons,theItalians,theGermans,theIrish)AmericansfromAsia(Chinese,Japanese)AmericansfromAfrica(Blacks)AmericansfromtheLatinAmerica(HispanicAmericans)