Db History

In 1908, playwright Israel Zangwill referred to America as a melting pot. Zangwill’s concept of the United States as a country where people of all cultures and nations are free to come and contribute to a common American culture remains a popular concept—even more than a century after its introduction.

More recently, the concept of the American mosaic asserts that American society consist not of melting pot in which people and cultures mix together to form a larger American culture, but as a mosaic in which ethnic groups come to the United States and coexist with other groups but maintain significant cultural and social distinctions among themselves. Post a discussion that explores these themes by demonstrating how various cultures and ethnicities have contributed to modern American history and culture.

Use the following outline to format your response:

Paragraph 1

• Select 1 ethnic group.
• Explain a specific contribution that this group made to American society or culture.

Paragraph 2

• Evaluate the concepts of the melting pot and the American mosaic.
• Which concept more accurately reflects the experiences of the ethnic group you chose? Support your assertion.

Respond to at least 2 or more of your classmates’ Discussion Board postings. Be sure to respond to your classmates’ postings with substantive and respectful responses.