Assimilation: Melting Pot or Mosaic

It is often said that the United States is a melting pot of ethic backgrounds from throughout the world.

Is Los Angeles a melting pot or a Mosaic? Los Angeles has the highest concentration of Mexicans outside of Mexico, the highest concentration of Koreans outside of Korea, even Samoans outside of Samoa.

Are we a melting pot? There are many existing enclaves such as Boyle Heights (Hispanic), Chinatown, Korea town, Little Tokyo, Black non assimilated communities, Cambodia town, Filipino town, Little Armenia, Little Arabia, Little Ethiopia, Little Saigon, Little Russia and Little India, etc.

These ethnic groups maintain their distinct cultural identities rather than blending into a single homogenized culture…therefore we are a Mosaic and not a melting pot.

Birds of a feather flock together.