Melting Pot Theory

The melting pot theory of multiculturalism assumes that various immigrant groups will tend to "melt together,' abandoning their individual cultures and eventually becoming fully assimilated into the predominant society. Typically used to describe the assimilation of immigrants, this theory is often illustrated by the metaphor of a foundry's smelting pots in which the elements iron and carbon are melted together to create a single, stronger metal steel.