Immigrants and assimilation in American society Several years ago, it was taught that America was a "melting pot", a place where immigrants of different cultures or races form an integrated society, but now America is more of a 'salad bowl' where instead of forming an incorporated entity the people who make up the salad bowl are unwilling to come together as one. America began as a nation of immigrants and has continued to be so. People from all over the world come to America for different reasons. Most people come to America voluntarily, but very few come against their will. Whatever the reason they come, they all have to deal with American society. When they are exposed to this "new" society they choose whether to assimilate it or not. Assimilation into any society is complex. Because assimilation is not easy, people will have negative experiences when assimilating into American society. In American society, learning to speak English correctly is a crucial factor in assimilation. People who decided to come to America found it quite difficult to integrate into American society for several reasons. One reason is that learning a new language is or can be significantly difficult depending on your age. This is because the act of learning a new language, such as English, is much more difficult for an older person than for one who has not reached adolescence. According to Grognet, for older adults there are several factors that influence their willingness to learn. Among these factors are physical health, mental health, cultural expectations, attitude, motivation, and finally the ability to acquire correct diction and adequate articulation (Grognet 296-297). For a person who has not reached prepubescent age, assimilation into a single race, consisting of people who share a similar identity, is ... middle of paper ... accomplished. In the words of Richard Rodriguez, “We are gathered together, but as individuals, we stand together, alone,” so people will assimilate but as individual “Americans.” Bibliography:1. Grognet, Allene. “Elderly refugees and language learning.” Hillard, Piro and Warner. 295-300.2. Houston, Jeanne. ?Arrival at Manzanar.? Hillard, Piro and Warner. 307-314.3. Lopez, Cinzia. ?Cranderism: a healing art.? Hillard, Piro and Warner. 334-336.4. Rodríguez, Riccardo. ?America still exists?? Hillard, Piro and Warner. 183-186.5. So much, Amy. "My mother speaks English." Hillard, Piro and Warner. 42-46.6. Hillard, Judith, Vincent, Piro, and J. Sterling Warner, eds. Visions across the Americas. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1998.