Chapter 12 Debate: Melting Pot or Salad Bowl?

1 America: The Last Best Hope, Chapter 12, An Age More Golden than Gilded? Chapter 12 debate : Melting Pot or Salad Bowl? IntroductionTeachers can use class debates to help students understand conflicting perspectives of apast time and place or of a contemporary issue. This often involves dividing the classinto two or more parts and assigning each group a role. Students are then encouraged totake on that role and argue their position. They need to argue the position they areassigned, regardless of whether or not they agree with that position. Sometimes, teachersmay encourage students to know both sides of the argument and have the two sidesswitch roles midway through the of This debate Students will be able to describe the symbolism of the terms Melting pot andsalad bowl in regards to how immigrants relate to America.

2 Students will be able to make arguments on both sides of the debate over to whatdegree immigrants have to give up their heritage to become Americans. Students will be able to define of the unique aspects of the American story is the way in which the United Stateshas been a magnet for peoples from all over the globe. From the outset, America hasbeen a nation of immigrants. Over the years, the countries of origin have changed andimmigration policies have shifted from a wide open door to restrictions designed to keepcertain people, who for that historical moment are deemed undesirable, from immigrants continue to come and the story repeated again and again is the story ofthe newcomers becoming Americans.

3 Typically, this occurs over a couple ofgenerations, and for years Americans spoke of this nation as a Melting pot whereimmigrants shed the characteristics of their old cultures to become part of a new anduniquely American civil rights movement of the last half of the twentieth century awakened in peopleacross America a new awareness of and pride in their ethnic origins. This multi-culturalawareness led some to advocate dropping the metaphor of a Melting pot, and insteadusing the ideas symbolized by a Salad bowl. In a Salad bowl, each ingredient remains adistinctive, separate element, yet still blends together to make a healthy satisfyingproduct. The question is clear. What makes for a healthier nation?

4 Is it a country wherewe shed our differences and become one, or is it a country where we celebrate ourdifferences and build on their strengths?ProceduresThis debate can be done in one class period. The teacher should divide the class into twoparts, each side making arguments for their perspective. Students should be remindedthat they should stick to their role and argue passionately for their position, despite whatthey personally may believe. They should also be encouraged to base their points onfactual information, rather than opinion and side of the debate should research both their position AND the position of theiropponents. This is important in the event the teacher elects to have the sides changepositions.

5 It also makes for a better debate because each side is better able to counterarguments of their should be able to use America: The Last Best Hope to find dual perspectives onthese issues, but teachers will also need to provide background through short lectures orexplanations. Students can also do research on their own to find arguments to supporttheir point of view. Primary sources from the period can be particularly valuable as aside builds its following chart represents basic points that should be covered by both should not immediately give students these points. They might be offered toeach side after students have had time to research on their own, or they might be withhelduntil after the debate and used as a summary or to debrief the blank version of the chart is offered at the end of this debate .

6 Students may use thisblank chart to take notes as they research their positions in the the debate takes place, arrange student desks or chairs with the two debate factionson opposite sides of the classroom facing each other. The teacher should serve as amoderator, beginning the proceedings, laying out the question, and calling on members ofeach side in alternating order. If the debate begins to lag, the teacher may call a shortbreak and have each side caucus to rethink their positions and prepare responses toarguments made by the other Pot or Salad Bowl? Melting PotSalad Bowl For generations, Americans havebelieved in becoming one is critical that we not stress ourdifferences, but rather cometogether as Americans who believein a core set of values.

7 We cannot be a united people andalso be a nation of hyphenated Americans. If we focus on beingIrish-Americans, African-Americans, Italian-Americans, andany other type of Americans weare not united, but rather breakingapart. What has always made us strong isour belief that anyone can comehere and become American. That istotally unique to our story. That isnot true for so many other nationsof the globe. Most of us cannot goto Japan and become Japanese or toFrance and become French. Butimmigrants CAN come here andjoin us to become , this does require leaving thepast behind and focusing onbecoming American. We are already too divided as anation. This focus on ourdifferences only divides us more.

8 Where does this end witheveryone in their own ethnicneighborhoods speaking their ownlanguages? We have to get awayfrom that. For far too long, immigrants camehere and were made to feel ashamedof who they truly were. One does NOT have to give up theirethnicity to become American. Wecan have common American valuesAND still focus on what makes usunique. America is strongest when wecelebrate our differences. We arestronger when we draw on all ofthose differences. When people give up their heritage,they give up a big part ofthemselves. The beauty of America is that ourvalues transcend our can be Italian-Americans, IrishAmericans, African-Americans any type of Americans yet weremain Americans and believe inthe same core principles.

9 Those arethe principles found in theDeclaration of Independence, theConstitution, and the Bill of Rights. We show the world time and timeagain that we are the only nationthat can have such harmony in aworld of difference. There is nothing wrong withAmerica being a land of multiplelanguages. That is nothing morethan a measure of how the globe isshrinking by the day. Americashould be proud to reflect : The Last Best Hope, Chapter 12, An Age More Golden than Gilded?Student debate SheetName_____Date_____As your group researches their position on these issues, use the following table to recordyour views and prepare for the debate . You should research and prepare for both sides ofthis debate . As the debate progresses, make notes made by the opposing side that yourside did not Pot or Salad Bowl?

10 Melting PotSalad Bowl