For much of U.S. history, we have prided ourselves on being a so-called melting pot. The process by which different cultural groups are stirred into the pot and create a common culture is a form of assimilation. It is in contrast to the notion that the United States is a salad bowl, where individuals maintain elements of their cultural heritage, but mix with other individuals from diverse backgrounds to create one big salad. This idea of the salad bowl corresponds with the concept of pluralism. Answer each of the following questions in your initial post:

• Which metaphor—the salad or the melting pot—do you think best describes the United States historically?
• Which metaphor do you think best describes our society today?
• Is one pattern more beneficial for society than the other?

Minimum 350 words