When debating illegal immigration we often hear the term melting pot bandied about by both sides wishing to use it to bolster their case. The pro-illegal crowd uses it as an excuse for non-assimilation and law breaking.

Those who support immigrants that follow the law and the legally precribed process of entry into our country use it as a term to describe our population as it once was, a blending of various cultures into a unique American culture.

In years past, people did not necessarily abandon their native cultures as much as they assimilated into the public culture of America. Immigrants worked hard and steadfastly insisted that their children attend school and learn English so that they could achieve and advance themselves beyond the hardscrabble life they had experienced. A life of hard work and hard knocks, but a satisfaction from the fruits of their labors that could only be achieved in America, the land of promise. Some immigrant customs work themselves into the fabric of American daily society while others are decidely ethnic and remain more in the neighborhoods and social clubs. This follows the philosophy of the latter group.

The former, often adopted by liberals, can never really be used as a accurate description of a melting pot. If one tosses varous components into the pot and said pieces remain unchanged as they sit side by side with the other ingredients, we have layers and not a “melting” or anything that can be truly be considered a blending at all. There is no integrity to the mix as the components can be seperated out of the mixture at will.

Another example of what makes a true melting pot would be the process by which steel is formed. The basic element in all steel is iron. That would be America, the land and basic foundation. It does not become steel until we add carbon. Various other alloying elements make different types of steel with some varied and unique properties that enhance the strength, hardness or overall workability of the steel. Anything over 10% chromium makes it stainless steel but it is still steel, with different and valuable uses. Without carbon, chromium , manganese, vanadium et al. , only iron remains. I described iron as the land which is the foundation for our country. Beautiful and useful but somewhat empty without her alloying elements. The people of the United States are the carbon that makes her into steel and as new cultures assimilate we add to her beauty and majesty. Much like the other elements change the properties of the steel and increase its integrity. Without a true blending we have iron, carbon, chromium and other metals lying side by side, relying only on their unique properties and unable to take advantage of the strengths of the others.

Immigrants who come to our country illegally and live a shadow existence never truly assimilate and are like a chunk of carbon or manganese. Strong and purposeful but nothing like they could be when blended with iron and other elements. Use of english and a demand for basic proficiency in the language is part of the process that smelts us together. Maintaining the unique aspects of the native culture within the home and community gives us our elemental properties that when blended with the iron, makes our country the toughest and best material on the market. Without a true melting though we are components which can never match the combined majesty of the blended product.

Next time you hear the term melting pot, consider its use and determine which of the two is characterized in the conversation. If a stronger America is what we want, assimilation is the blender.