Isn America a nation of immigrants?
Taken literally, this question is obviously ridiculous: the vast majority of Americans were born and raised in this country. Neither is it true that all native Americans are ultimately descended from immigrants. One must distinguish between immigrants and the original settlers who founded this country in the first place. The British colonists were the mold into which all latecomers were set. Over time, the original stock has been diluted by influxes of other peoples; but (until recently) the original Americans, the first-comers and nation-builders, maintained their cultural hegemony. The Anglo-Saxons are the solvent of the “melting pot”: they provided the language, the system of law and government, and most of the manners and customs that continue to define America as a nation. The newcomers’ additions to American culture are trivial in comparison to what they gave up. It is ludicrous to pretend that Americans, whatever their ancestry, are anything but Anglo-Saxons. While there are sti
Taken literally, this question is obviously ridiculous: the vast majority of Americans were born and raised in this country. Neither is it true that all native Americans are ultimately descended from immigrants. One must distinguish between immigrants and the original settlers who founded this country in the first place. The British colonists were the mold into which all latecomers were set. Over time, the original stock has been diluted by influxes of other peoples; but (until recently) the original Americans, the first-comers and nation-builders, maintained their cultural hegemony. The Anglo-Saxons are the solvent of the “melting pot”: they provided the language, the system of law and government, and most of the manners and customs that continue to define America as a nation. The newcomers’ additions to American culture are trivial in comparison to what they gave up. It is ludicrous to pretend that Americans, whatever their ancestry, are anything but Anglo-Saxons. While there are sti
