American Identity America Is a Melting Pot of Diverse Cultures

American Identity: A Melting Pot of Diverse Cultures

The objective of this study is to examine the work of St. John de Crevecoeur entitled "What Is An American" and John Steinbeck's work entitled "What's Happening to America?

America is a melting pot of diverse cultures formed by individuals who came from countries all around the world. Steinbeck's work entitled "What Happening to America?" speaks of how American was built and the process that resulted in the making of Americans described as "a new breed, rooted I all races, stained and tinted with all colors, a seeming ethnic anarchy." P.1) Jean de Crevecoeur in his work entitled "What Is An American" describes American to those in Europe who have not heard about the new land and relates that it is a place that is more livable than Europe and goes on to relate the formation of the new society in America. In today's issues in the United States one of the most hotly debated is the issue of immigration. Immigration has become an issue because of the failure of the administration in Washington to require that immigrants pay their dues before receiving priviliges associated with being an American. Individuals immigrate to the United States and receive social benefits without understanding what being an American really means.

I. Americans

In John Steinbeck's and Jean de Crevecoeur's works in writing the issue of the 'new' race of Americans is addressed. Jean de Crevecoeur relates that the new man in the country of America is not simply a race but is a man who revels in the richness existing in the different races. The American is the individual who is German, French, Irish and other races, all in one and all working side by side to build the new country. Steinbeck writes in his work that as time went on during the building of America that the differences became less notable and that people in the new land became more akin than different. Steinbeck states that something "was loose in this land, and the new generations wanted to be Americans more than they wanted to be Hungarians or Italians or British." (p.1) Steinbeck writes that Americans are considered to be "reckless, a dissatisfied, a searching people." (p.1)

II. Paradoxes in America

Steinbeck relates that many paradoxes exist in the American society and states that while no one is able to accurately described the way of life in America "or point to any person or group who lives it, but it is real nevertheless." (p.1) Americans are reported to both fear and hate "any perpetuation of power -- political, religious or bureaucratic." (p.1) Steinbeck states that the danger in America is the realization of "success, plenty, comfort, and ever-increasing leisures." (p.1) However, Steinbeck believes that Americans will survive and that Americans are a "restless" people characterized by energy whether that be demonstrated in "strikes and causes." (p. 2) Jean de Crevecoeur relates that any individual from a foreign country can go to America and become an American and relates that when in America, ones' original race or ethnicity ceases to matter became they all become Americans.

III. Today's Immigrants

Immigrants in the past were required to assimilate into the American society and to 'become' American however, in today's world those entering the United States often cling to their old nationality and instead of becoming an American live in communities that still adhere to the old country customs, language and mores. In the past becoming an American was the highest desire of immigrants and those individuals did all they could to melt into the American society desiring to leave behind their customs and language. In fact, this leaving behind was what characterized those who came to this country to be Americans.

Summary and Conclusion