One Nation, Indivisible:
Is It History?
By William Booth
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 22, 1998; Page A1
At the beginning of this century, as steamers poured into
American ports, their steerages filled with European immigrants, a Jew
from England named Israel Zangwill penned a play whose story line
has long been forgotten, but whose central theme has not. His
production was entitled "The Melting Pot" and its message still holds a
tremendous power on the national imagination – the promise that all
immigrants can be transformed into Americans, a new alloy forged in a
crucible of democracy, freedom and civic responsibility. In 1908, when
the play opened in Washington, the United States was in the middle of
absorbing the largest influx of immigrants in its history – Irish and
Germans, followed by Italians and East Europeans, Catholics and Jews
– some 18 million new citizens between 1890 and 1920. §1
Today, the United States is experiencing its second great wave
of immigration, a movement of people that has profound implications
for a society that by tradition pays homage to its immigrant roots at the same time it confronts
complex and deeply ingrained ethnic and racial divisions. The immigrants of today come not from
Europe but overwhelmingly from the still developing world of Asia and Latin America. They are
driving a demographic shift so rapid that within the lifetimes of today's teenagers, no one ethnic group
– including whites of European descent – will comprise a majority of the nation's population. §2
This shift, according to social historians, demographers and others studying the trends, will
severely test the premise of the fabled melting pot, the idea, so central to national identity, that this
country can transform people of every color and background into "one America." Just as possible,
they say, is that the nation will continue to fracture into many separate, disconnected communities
with no shared sense of commonality or purpose. Or perhaps it will evolve into something in between,
a pluralistic society that will hold on to some core ideas about citizenship and capitalism, but with
little meaningful interaction among groups. §3
The demographic changes raise other questions about political and economic power. Will that
power, now held disproportionately by whites, be shared in the new America? What will happen when
Hispanics overtake blacks as the nation's single largest minority? "I do not think that most Americans
really understand the historic changes happening before their very eyes," said Peter Salins, an
immigration scholar who is provost of the State Universities of New York. "What are we going to
become? Who are we? How do the newcomers fit in – and how do the natives handle it – this is the
great unknown." §4
Fear of strangers, of course, is nothing new in American history. The last great immigration
wave produced a bitter backlash, in the 1920s, of the Ku Klux Klan, which not only targeted blacks,
but Catholics, Jews and immigrants as well. Still, many historians argue that there was a greater
consensus in the past on what it meant to be an American, a yearning for a common language and
culture, and a desire – encouraged, by members of the dominant white Protestant culture – to
assimilate. Today there is more emphasis on preserving one's ethnic identity, of finding ways to
highlight and defend one's cultural roots. More often than not, the neighborhoods where Americans
live, the cultures they immerse themselves in, the friends and spouses they have, the churches and
schools they attend, and the way they view themselves are defined by ethnicity. The question is
whether, in the midst of such change, there is also enough glue to hold Americans together. §5
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/meltingpot/melt0222.htm (abridged)
I. A. Which paragraphs contain each of the following ideas:
1.
The second immigration wave might prove that the so-called “Melting Pot” theory has utterly failed. __3____
2.
The social and economic shifts brought about by this last immigration flux are still to be clarified. ___4___
3.
A play lays at the origin of the well-known expression that stands for the total integration in society of
immigrants from different cultures or races. ___1___
4.
It seems that in the USA the early “Melting Pot” ideals have changed into “Salad Bowl” ones. ___5___
5.
There are major differences between the first and the second immigration fluxes into the USA. ___2___
B.1. Find evidence of the following statements. Quote from the text.
1.1. A play’s message is still up-to-date: all newcomers to the promised land can be changed into American citizens.
“… a play(…)whose central message still holds(…)the promise that all immigrants can be transformed into
Americans(…)”
1.2. This is a society that is proud of its foreign ancestors despite its constant racial and ethnic splitting up.
“(…)a society that pays homage to its immigrant roots at the same time it confronts(…)racial divisions.”
1.3. It might turn into some kind of a society comprised of people from numerous different cultural and ethnic
backgrounds with some social and political key ideas but where there’s no link between the various parts.
“(…)perhaps it will evolve into something in between, a pluralistic society that will hold on to some core ideas
about citizenship and capitalism, but with little meaningful interaction among groups.”
B.2. Complete the following sentences according to the text. Use your own words as far as
possible.
2.1. One of the questions raised by the demographic changes is, among many others, how the imbalanced power
between the black and the white population is going to be shared in this new country.
2.2. Peter Salins, who is provost of the State University of New York, said (that) he wasn’t sure whether the
American really understood what was going on around them.
2.3. Standing for one’s cultural roots and maintaining one’s ethnic identity is what really matters nowadays.
C.1. Reread paragraphs 4(FOUR) and 5(FIVE) and find synonyms/antonyms for the following
words.
Given word/expression
Synonym
Antonym
OVERTAKE
1.
outstrip (v)
2.
don’t have a clue
3.
adapt (v)
FIT IN
4.
a strong negative reaction
BITTER BACKLASH
5.
longing
YEARNING
REALLY UNDERSTAND
C.2. What do the following words refer to in the text?
1. “whose” (§1):”A PLAY”
2. “its” (§2) :”A SOCIETY” 3. “they” (§3) :”SOCIAL HISTORIANS,
DEMOGRAPHERS AND OTHERS STUDYING THE TRENDS”
II. A. Complete the text with a word or expression from the box below. Don’t repeat them!
drifting
hard-line
do clash
to update
either
predominantly
in addition to
of various kinds
account for
her efforts
After the terrorist attack against the USA at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the world has been
forced 1. TO UPDATE its views of Islam and look for ways to dissuade its practitioners from 2. DRIFTING
towards extremism, Western societies have placed a high premium on the moderate Muslim: those modern,
sensible examples of how Islam can be practiced and honored harmoniously within 3. PREDOMINANTLY
non-Muslim communities. French writer and anthropologist Dounia Bouzar has been iconic of that "moderate
Muslim", authoring books and articles on how mutually acceptable compromise can be found when Islam and
Western societies 4. DO CLASH. Now, however, that effort has landed Bouzar in the uncomfortable position
that moderates 5. OF VARIOS KINDS have found themselves in over the ages, when their centrist positions
made them targets for extremists to 6. EITHER side.
This week Bouzar discovered a car and motorcycle she owns had been vandalized by suspected militants
of extreme-right groups who presumably resent 7. HER EFFORTS to make Islam an integrated, uncontroversial
part of France's social landscape. 8. IN ADDITION TO considerable damage done to both vehicles, the
perpetrators gouged Crosses of Lorraine into the metal — symbols traditionally used by French neo-Nazi groups.
They also affixed stickers with a red "No" symbol over minarets, and left a tract titled "Resistance", containing
the threat "The time will come when Islamo-collaborators must 9. ACCOUNT FOR themselves". That
aggression from probable extreme-rightist activists follows denunciations and warnings Bouzar has received over
the years from 10. HARD-LINE Islamists, who resent her calls for French Muslims to practice their faith in a
manner respectful of women's rights, other religions, and French society's secular principles in the public
domain.
II. B. 1. Fill in each gap with the correct preposition.
Stereotypes are the stuff of bad comedians' jokes. People laugh 1. AT them because everyone
recognizes stereotypes; people use them as lazy generalisations 2. OF whole groups of people. Stereotypes
are often part of bigotry, whether that is racial, sexual, or class bigotry.
The most famous stereotype beloved of male comedians in the past was mothers-in-law. The
stereotype being that all mothers-in-law were interfering, unreasonable and ugly harridans who disapproved
strongly of their sons-in-law and made life awkward 3. FOR them. That is patently untrue since many
sons-in-law hold their mothers in law 4. IN high esteem.
Another commonly held stereotype is that all blond-haired women are stupid. This again is a
ridiculous stereotyping, many blond women hold high positions 5. IN politics, the sciences and the arts.
Some brunettes are very silly.
Generalisations about black people abound, yet to generalise 6. ABOUT millions of people 7.
FROM many different countries 8. WITH different cultures, beliefs and value systems is as stupid as
saying that all white people are brilliantly brainy, or terrifically stupid. It is just a completely false statement.
B.2. Rewrite the following sentences without changing their meaning. Start as indicated.
2.1. Although King was involved in many protests in support of black workers, he wasn’t always successful.
Despite being involved in many protests in support of black workers, he wasn’t always successful.
2. 2. JFK: “The free society that does not take care of its poor will not be able to save its few who are rich.”
JFK once said that the free society that did not take care of its poor would not be able to save its few
who were rich.
2. 3. Parents and educators acquire a broad knowledge of diverse cultures. It can be used to broaden a child's
awareness and respect for differences in race, culture, and gender.
Parents and educators acquire a broad knowledge of diverse cultures which can be used to broaden a
child's awareness and respect for differences in race, culture, and gender.
2. 4. When cultural differences are respected, children learn to accept and be proud of both cultures. (not
only...but also)
When cultural differences are respected, children not only learn to accept but also to be proud of both
cultures.
2. 5. The Italian government adopted a controversial hard line on the immigration issue. Ruling
conservatives in other European nations were led to adopt similar stands.
If the Italian government hadn’t adopted a controversial hard line on the immigration issue, ruling
conservatives in other European nations wouldn’t have been led to adopt similar stands.