America..Melting Pot or Salad Bowl?

[Link to video: America..Melting Pot or Salad Bowl?]

[The introduction to the video shows the words “Diverse City. Dr. Cheryl Ingram”. The logo for Diverse City is also shown]

[The screen transitions to show Dr. Cheryl Ingram standing in front of the camera]

Dr. Ci: What's up, everybody? I'm Dr. Ci of Diverse City. And this is episode number 14 of our learning series where we're going to be talking to you today about the idea that America is a melting pot versus a salad bowl. And what does that mean? So for too long we've had conversations about the meaning of the melting pot versus the salad bowl. First I'm going to address a melting pot. Now, here's the issue with the melting pot. What that says to the people who come into this country with different identities is that you need to assimilate, right? So there is this notion of assimilation behind what it means to live in a melting pot and we all need to become homogenous and be the same thing and identify the same way so that we can share in value our culture. And that's not what America should be.

So when you think about the fact that you say America is a melting pot, no, we don't all melt together. You need to stop saying that. We should be able to exist in the same spaces with different identities harmoniously. Right? Now let's talk about the salad bowl. I'm more of a fan of the salad bowl, but I get where people have issues with it, right? So when you think about a salad bowl, you take all of these different ingredients. You put them in this bowl, and they all exist harmoniously in some way, shape, or form, and their identities do not become one. Still identify the differences that exist within that bowl and those ingredients. So compare that to identity, right? So we have this Earth, planet Earth that we live on. And we have this continent of North America where we all exist. And we should be able to exist and still celebrate our cultural differences in the same spaces, right? I mean, if you think about the fact where you say that people need to assimilate, that is less than oppression. Because what you're saying is that they need to mirror what America is, which is often the normality for whiteness. So you're saying we want you to be more like us.

Now I get that America has different cultures, we have different values, we have different beliefs in this country. And I get those. But what I'm saying is that your identity shouldn't have to change in order to feel like you are welcome in this country or that you belong in this country. So my tool for you today is to stop saying that America is a melting pot. It is not, some people call it a mosaic, et cetera. I'm okay with the salad bowl definition because what it does is it highlights the different identities and their existence and their position, and still allows people to celebrate their differences, especially their cultural differences.

So with that being said, I'll take away from this video is that you understand the difference between the melting pot and the salad bowl, and what America is and what America isn't, when it comes to culture and cultural differences. Make sure that you look below in the description because I'm going to have some tools for you like I always do, giving you the gift of learning so that you can share that knowledge with other people and stop ignorance from spreading around the world. I'll see you all on episode 14. We going to keep this theme going of talking about culture and cultural appropriation. Ya’ll going to get to say hello to my colleague Patricia for the first time. See you all soon. Have a blessed day.

[End of video.]