Melting-Pot Theory

The melting-pot theory of acculturation and assimilation has been discussed widely since its introduction by playwright Israel Zangwill in 1909. Zangwill's play, of the same name, is all but forgotten, but the phrase caught on. It gave rise to the image of a super-American purported to blend the best traits of many cultures. In this view, the new American is an amalgam of characteristics that resulted, as if magically, in an archetype persona that found favor with many Americans. It is of some interest that the concept of the melting pot arose from popular culture, rather than from the social sciences, although social scientists seemed to accept it just as warmly.

Zangwill wrote,

Zangwill was not creating a viewpoint; he was simply reflecting it. As this excerpt shows, by the beginning of the 20th century, the idea of a distinctly American persona was becoming firmly established. Increasingly, as the nation moved through the Industrial Revolution, efforts at remaining different or maintaining old-country customs, traditions, and languages were regarded with suspicion. Often, they were labeled “un-American.” The fact that the United States is composed of people from all over the world remains undisputed. The issue that was being addressed in the nation's internal discourse of citizenship was different: How do immigrants become true Americans, and what is the ideal result of the amalgamation of people from different parts of the world? The notion of a melting pot wherein harsh differences were softened and made more tolerable seemed appropriate to many Americans of the time. It bears noting that the melting-pot concept was not about race. Americans of the time had not yet dealt openly with miscegenation, and few people were arguing that all races were endowed with the same attributes. This entry describes the metaphor and ideology behind the melting-pot theory, how schools have viewed assimilation, and criticisms of the theory.