ABSTRACT
The use of the phrase “melting pot” began in the early 1900s to convey the idea that, as mostly white Anglo-Saxon European immigrants came to the United States, they very much desired to become “Americanized.” Immigrants typically settled in ethnic neighborhoods where they felt more comfortable and accepted as they assimilated into the American culture. Immigrants strived to speak American English and dress like Americans (Gordon 1964). That was the norm: Their public persona was to look, sound, and be American, although among close family and friends, immigrants often continued to practice European traditions and customs.
