Share the following Walt Whitman quotation with students: Here is not merely a nation but a teeming Nation of nations. - Walt Whitman
Questions:
1. What is Whitman likely referring to in this quotation? Are there other statements or metaphors that refer to the same phenomenon? (i.e. melting pot, a nation of immigrants, salad bowl, mosaic)
2. Can these metaphors or statements apply to other nations as well as the U.S.? Which nations?
3. What
factors in the history of the United States contributed to this evolution of a Nation of nations? TAKE A QUIZ
Read the quote below and decide if it represents the "melting pot concept" of immigrants to the U.S. assimilating and blending into the U.S. culture by giving up their native traditions or if it represents the "salad bowl concept" of immigrants adding to the richness of the entire culture dish while individually retaining the customs that make them unique.