Melting pot

In science, a melting pot is a container where substances are melted.

In the social sciences, assimilation is the process of integration, whereby, immigrants (and other minority groups) are "absorbed" into an integrated mainstream society. A region, where assimilation is occurring, might be known as a "melting pot". Such a "melting pot" can result in a relatively homogenous society, with a strong sense of nationalism; however, where minorities are strongly urged to assimilate, there can arise groups which directly oppose integration.

Assimilation can have negative implications for minority or native cultures, in that after assimilation the distinctive features of the minority or native culture will be minimized and may disappear altogether. This is especially true in situations where institutions of the dominant culture initiate programs to assimilate or integrate minority cultures.

Perhaps the best known application of this term is in regards to the United States. In 1879, Army Captain Richard Pratt opened the United States Indian Training and Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The school integrated Indians into white society, and took "before and after" photographs. A tougher form of a melting pot is adhered to by France, which traditionally welcomed immigrants, but expected them to foresake their former language and national identity. A competing approach is multiculturalism. This approach is to some extent used in Canada and even Britain.

The metaphor of the melting pot comes from Englishman Israel Zangwill's play The Melting Pot, which was first performed in Washington, D.C in 1908.

Conversely, Canada has been affectionately referred to as a tossed salad.