Due Date: November 21, 2007
Professor: Jonathan Baker
After reading the article called “End of the melting Pot: The new wave of immigrants presents new challenges” by Ashley Pettus, I feel I have mixed reactions as to what the author is trying to convey by saying whether if it really is the end of the melting pot. United States is a country of Immigrants, where all cultures come and meet. Immigration is the act of relocating to another country or region, whether temporarily or permanently (Will). “Today an estimated 7 million or more people live in the United States with no legal documents” (Frieden). More than half of the total number of illegal immigrants who are here come from South America. In an article, Passel calculates, “Mexicans make up more than half of the undocumented immigrants, the total of about 5.3 million”. Significantly the Latino minority is one such which is undergoing mass mobilization. “It is predicted by 2050 the Latino minority is going to be the largest in number by overtaking the black minority group” (Winters 44). The new wave of immigrants definitely presents some challenges as the author says. The factors affecting the immigrants most are those of assimilation, economic condition and educational opportunity. “Hispanic is a term denoting a derivation from Spain, its people and culture” (Wikipedia). I think that assimilation is one of the most important factors affecting the Hispanic people, specially from Mexico. Without getting involved in American lifestyle 2 and learning to speak the English language, its impossible to be successful in the United
States. Assimilation is when immigrants are absorbed into a larger community. The region where it occurs is known as the melting pot. But this is not the case with Mexicans as Ashley Pettus explains. The reason being the use
Cited: Frieden, Terry. “Ins: 7 Million Illegal Immigrants In The United States”. 1 Feb, 2003. “History of Hispanic American Immigration”. Worldbook.com. 19 Nov, 2007. Martinez, J. Oscar. Mexican Origin People In The United States: Tuscon, Arizona: University Of Arizona Press, 2001. Passsel, Jeffery. “Undocumented Immigrants: Facts and Figures”. 15 Mar, 2006. Will, Beback. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2006 ed.