End of the Melting Pot?

Seeking jobs and opportunity in a new country, immigrants often head for communities where family members, friends or acquaintances have already settled. The practice creates pockets of ethnic groups, changing demographics and culture in many US towns, often raising questions about the ability for immigrants to assimilate. This article in “Harvard Magazine” compares immigration throughout the 20th century with more recent immigration movements, and reports on research that analyzes how various immigrants connect with US culture. According to journalist Ashley Pettus, regardless of time period or geography, “The act of moving from one nation to another, often with few financial resources, requires an exceptional degree of drive, courage, and resourcefulness.” Immigrants have a simple goal, to improve their lives or those of their children. So an immigrant’s motivation works hand in hand with the conditions he or she encounters in a host community, making assimilation very much a two-way street. – YaleGlobal