No longer a melting pot.

In a melting pot anything added becomes infused into the bulk contents and changes it's properties, usually for the better. For example, by adding a small amount of carbon, iron becomes steel, which is harder with better properties for use. It should be noted that adding too much can have the opposite case, and more than 2% carbon makes it pig iron, which is more brittle and weaker. Now, if we add some chromium to the steel it becomes stainless steel, which is even harder and resistant to rusting as well. Likewise, adding different cultures into the culture established in the United States has improved and strengthened us as they became infused into our national culture. Unfortunately, during the twentieth century, particularly since 1950, we have increasingly cooled and become more resistant to incorporation of different cultures. Likewise, immigrant cultures have increasingly been resistant to infusion into the U.S. culture. It is increasingly more comparable to pouring oil into water. In the example above, if the steel has cooled too much before chromium is added they will not mix properly and, instead of becoming stronger, their different chemical and physical characteristics result in "conflict" and weakening of the whole. This is the situation we are in now. Our capacity to accept immigrants is being exceeded and those arriving too often want to maintain their culture in the new environments. We are no longer a melting pot, having become a mixture of conflicting cultures. This is progressively weakening us and creating conflict. A sad situation, although certain other countries view it gleefully.