Is America’s ‘melting pot’ melting away?
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America is a melting pot, where traditions and foods from Native American Pow Wows to Italian’s pizza have become staples of our culture.
In the process these traditions have become Americanized. The same is true for the traditions of the 50.5 million Latinos living in the U.S.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to Latinos assimilating in the U.S. The one that believes Latinos have a death grip on their culture, and those that believe they are losing their Hispanicness.
Some sociologists believe that the idea of America as a melting pot is dwindling away. Instead of immigrants replacing their customs with American traditions they are holding on to it, passing on those traditions to second and third generations—giving birth to a wave of ethnic enclaves or niche communities.
New York and San Francisco’s China Towns are perfect examples of ethnic enclaves that hold dear its roots. Latinos have done the same in communities throughout Texas, California and Florida.
Hispanic Research Inc. reports:
“New immigrants today can easily maintain close ties with their home country through Internet connections, telephone communication, and accessible travel. They are also able to have access to their cultural heritage and language through product and service offerings that are targeted to the Latino community. The idea of diversity and maintaining one’s heritage has become very important in the American culture and works against the assimilation tendency.”
But a recent Census study disputes this idea. In a 2006 Census study, 6 percent of respondents who identified themselves as Spanish or of Latin American descent, didn’t classify themselves as Latino in 2010.
Although a small percentage, this study suggests there is ethnic erosion among Hispanics, who after a few years decide to change identities once they feel assimilated enough.
The problem may lie in the choices. Latinos are multicultural. Every Latin American or Spanish speaking nation has its own identity. Hispanics’ choices of what racial group they best fit into needs to reflect more variety instead of the unvaried white, black, Asian provided in most demographic studies.
A through Florida’s Hialeah or Texas’ El Paso where business signs are in Spanish and you’d have to speak Spanish or at least Spanglish to make an order, shows enclave communities continue to thrive.
The survival of these niche communities may very well be what’s sustaining Latino culture in an American world.
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