Immigrants should not be expected to assimilate into American culture. America was founded as the land of the free and a place where you can be whoever you want. Therefore, if America wants to uphold this ideal that the country was founded on, immigrants should be allowed to decide when and how much they assimilate into American culture, if they decide to at all.
I disagree with the premise. Several groups arrived with sort of "founding cultures" and none of them were "be whoever you want".
The Founders intended the United States to be a white Christian nation. "Melting pot" was a term invented by people that wanted to change that, undermine us, weaken us, and gain power over us. It was the same kind of people that passed the immigration act of 1965, that changed U.S. immigration from majority white countries to majority non-white. They knew that diverse societies have weak bonds and much social strife, and they can manipulate and amplify those differences amongst the disparate tribes against one another while they gain greater control.
The conclusion reached by an article by Penn State on "Melting Pot" vs "Salad Bowl":
I disagree with the premise. Several groups arrived with sort of "founding cultures" and none of them were "be whoever you want".
The Founders intended the United States to be a white Christian nation. "Melting pot" was a term invented by people that wanted to change that, undermine us, weaken us, and gain power over us. It was the same kind of people that passed the immigration act of 1965, that changed U.S. immigration from majority white countries to majority non-white. They knew that diverse societies have weak bonds and much social strife, and they can manipulate and amplify those differences amongst the disparate tribes against one another while they gain greater control.