| America has long been known as an ethnic | | | | United States’ population has also absorbed |
| ‘melting pot’ in which individuals of all | | | | many Asians from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam |
| nations have melted into a new race of men. | | | | and other countries. |
| The country has compared to a big pot of soup | | | | In general the United States took in nearly 43 million |
| which had bits of flavour from each different culture. | | | | immigrants between 1820 and 1965. All these aliens |
| In time they all blended together forming a new | | | | became Americans in the process of assimilation, |
| unique flavour. The basic ‘ingredients’ | | | | naturalization and Americanization. America, on the |
| of this American mixture were immigrants who came | | | | other hand, has taken its character from an |
| to America from virtually every country in the world. | | | | extraordinary variety of peoples. |
| Europe began sending colonists in the early 17th | | | | Although there were immense differences between |
| century but the massive immigration took place in | | | | immigrants of various races, religions, cultures or |
| the period from 1880 to 1920 when tens of millions | | | | backgrounds there was one thing that they had in |
| of Europeans entered the United States. Black | | | | common: all of them came to America to start a |
| Americans, the largest ethnic minority in the country, | | | | new life leaving everything behind. They all shared |
| were brought to America from Africa in the 17th, | | | | certain characteristics now regarded to be typically |
| 18th and early 19th centuries as slaves. Hispanics who | | | | American: the courage to take risks, self-reliance, |
| constitute the next largest ethnic minority in America, | | | | confidence in the future, optimism and tolerance of |
| have come from Mexico, Puerto Rico or Cuba. The | | | | diversity. |