American Culture:From Melting Pot,Salad Bowl to Tapestry Culture

【Abstract】It is convinced that culture has always been one of the trending topics people revel in talking with great gusto.American culture is no exception，which de facto can attribute the “vogue” to its unique cultural pluralism.Being a multinational country，American culture changes over time.It is firstly recognized as the “melting pot”Nevertheless，it pales in the shadow of time.In 1970s，the “salad bowl” statement seems to be a more vivid surrogate of American culture.Until 1990s，“ tapestry culture”gains its popularity.The paper centers on exploring three changes of American culture so as to acquaint learners with a comprehensive understanding of American culture.

【Key words】The Melting Pot； the Salad Bowl； the Tapestry Culture

1.The“Melting Pot”.The earliest statement related to “melting pot” could date back right into 1782，when French American scholar，J.Hector St.John de Crèvecoeur first published a series of letters named Letters from an American Farmer.The“melting pot”really gained its widespread popularity after in 1908，a drama written by the British Jewish writer，Israel Zangwill，was performed in Broadway and enjoyed a big success.Zangwill said in the drama that “The United States is God's Crucible，a great melting pot of all races in Europe and all get smelting and recast”.Afterwards，the “melting pot” has become the new surrogate of American culture.

Three main points are conceived in “melting pot” statement.The first point comes that America is an already assimilated melting pot，whatever racial or ethnic，after going to its dregs and taking its essence，could find its place in this pot.The second advocates that through melting，a brand-new American culture and a novel American nation are created.The statement also conceives that all European immigrant culture is deprived of its idiosyncrasy and almost nothing remains.

Doubtlessly，in academic research field，any vivid metaphor for social phenomena couldn’t be impeccable.To some extent，the unity essence of American culture could find its full expression in the “melting pot”，whereas，coupled with the flush of immigration culture，the minority resorts strongly to its rights，as a consequence，the statement gets challenged and its shortcomings gradually surface.

2.The“Salad Bowl”. In the late 20th century，propelled by the overwhelming immigration culture，the “melting pot” gets intensely challenged.Until 1970s，“salad bowl” put forward by American historian，Degler，came into existence.

In 1960s，103 ethnic groups and 173 indigenous units emerged.In WASP-dominated society，whether to accept these immigrants or not became a trickle question.In 1976，Murray suggests that “cultural melting pot is no longer adaptive to America； it has grown into a salad bowl”.

The “salad bowl” places a premium on the specialty of each culture in America，in other words，different immigrant groups live together in the big America plate，maintaining their respective features instead of merging into a single homogeneous culture.It also advocates that though not belonging to main-stream culture，each contributes a lot to the overall development of American culture.American culture is merely a combination of all cultures； no culture would be merged at the cost of sacrificing its own features.

Fairly speaking，this concept indeed interprets the characteristics of American cultural diversity，whereas it tends to neglect elucidating the unity and integrity of American culture.Likewise，with the passage of time，new challenges emerge.

3.The“Tapestry Culture”.The creation of “tapestry culture”serves as the light at the end of the tunnel and the long-confused question seems to find the exit.In 1998，American distinguished writer，Deegan M.J first employs the word “tapestry” to depict the status quo of American culture in her work.What merits our special attention is that Deegan M.J links “tapestry culture” with “rituals”，“rituals create a show stage for cultural experience，symbols and values.Different rituals could also forge a tapestry -with a discernible，symbolic and meaningful image in the fabric of life.”

In 2008，Gary Weaver，a professor in American University wrote an article named“ American tapestry culture”，from his perspective，American culture is compared as an iceberg，most of which is invisible and hidden under the water.So it is the same with culture，i.e.culture exists in our mind，though the surface exposed to the outside can be changed，just like iceberg can be melt due to the sun and rain，the root retains forever.

The intercultural communication research scholar at the University of Wisconsin，Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz reckons that the concept is a compromise.Tapestry is woven by particular silk，but the whole is woven in the direction of “intended image”.Though in form，the colorful tapestry retains the specialty of different culture merging into America； it’s no longer woven randomly but through cultural design.In this way，the ideal American cultural image is established.Probably this is what American culture pursues in the future.