Melting_Pot_or_Mosiac

In the 1600’s many slaves were brought from Africa and the West Indies to the United States. Many of these slaves were West Indians who played a major role in making America the melting pot it is today. West Indian Americans have made a great impact on American society today as we know it. To name a few immigrants of the West Indies that played a major role in cultural development of the United States was Marcus Garvey a Jamaican immigrant who was an abolitionist for restoring African pride by returning African Americans back to Africa and Africa to Africans. Another Jamaican immigrant that also contributed to this change was Claude McKay in 1922 he wrote a book of poems called White Shadows and his most famous work, If We Must Die. Another impact the Caribbean has on American society would be our food and music that came from various islands in the West Indies. Oxtails, curry goat, jerk chicken and a few other dishes that are house hold staples in the Caribbean, grace many American homes today. Calypso, soca, reggae and dance hall to name a few are the different types of music that has also migrated into the American culture. Melting pot is defined as a place where a variety of races, cultures or individuals assimilate into a cohesive whole. The difference between a melting pot and a mosaic is, in a melting pot once you arrive in the U.S. no matter what or who you have been in the past. Once arriving you have to adapt and adopt the American lifestyle. Whereas in a mosaic the country becomes stronger by having immigrants bring their cultural diversity for all to learn from. Race and ethnicity are concepts that more accurately reflects the experience of various cultural groups in America. The variety found in the U.S. has created unique cultures, races and religions that is unlike anywhere in the world and that is what make America the melting pot it is today.